21st February 2008

Thamesport (London) has welcomed the start of a new rail service.

After an absence of 18 months from the Port, EWS Railway has returned to the Kent facility to launch its Thamesport to Daventry service. The service operates five days per week, and is able to offer capacity for high cube containers, in addition to standard units.

Chris Lewis, Chief Executive Officer of Hutchison Ports (UK) Limited, which owns Thamesport (London), said:

“It is important that we offer shippers a rail option through our ports, and this new service provides a boost to the range of destinations that are served by rail from Thamesport. We are committed to increasing the share of freight transported by rail through the Port, and we were pleased to reach a record throughput in 2007, with a total of 50,000 containers passing through the Port’s rail terminal.”

Importantly, expansion work to the Port’s rail facility is due to commence in September 2008. This work will extend the rail terminal’s sidings to allow 24-wagon-length trains to be worked without the need to break and shunt individual units.

In addition to EWS’ new Daventry service, three other services connect Thamesport to Birmingham, Leeds/Coatbridge, Manchester, Doncaster and Birch Coppice.

ENDS

Note to Editors:

For further information please contact Rachael Jackson, Public Relations Manager, on Tel No: +44 (0) 1394 604167, Fax No: +44 (0) 1394 604943 or E-mail jacksonr@hpuk.co.uk. www.thamesport.co.uk

Thamesport (TMP) is located in the heart of South East England, 10 miles from the M2 motorway, 35 miles from London. It is one of the UK’s busiest container ports.

TMP is a member of the Hutchison Port Holdings (HPH) Group, a subsidiary of the multinational conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa Limited (HWL). HPH is the world's leading port investor, developer and operator, with interests in a total of 292 berths in 47 ports, spanning 24 countries throughout Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Africa, Europe and the Americas. HPH also owns a number of transportation-related service companies. In 2006, the HPH Group handled a combined throughput of 59.3 million TEU worldwide.