16th September 2011


The Port of Felixstowe, the UK’s largest container port, is celebrating after scooping the top award at the Rail Freight Group’s annual awards for the second time in three years.

The port was named Business of the Year at the award ceremony in Oxford. As well as taking the top award, Felixstowe also picked up the highly-coveted Customer Care award, recognising its focus on continually satisfying its customers’ needs.

The Business of the Year Award reflects the on-going programme of expenditure in new and improved facilities at the port, and the determination of its employees to respond to the changing commercial requirements of its customers.

Commenting on the award, David Gledhill, Chief Executive Officer of Hutchison Ports (UK) Limited, owners of the Port of Felixstowe, said:

“Winning this award for the second time in only three years is clear evidence that the focus we place on rail operations is being translated into improved levels of customer service. Rail volumes through the port continue to grow as a result of our commitment to continually improve rail facilities, and of the hard work and dedication of everyone involved in rail operations at the port.

“We have recently completed an extensive investment programme to improve facilities and capacity at the South Rail Terminal including re-laying track, creating new sidings and purchasing two new rail gantry cranes. This will allow us to increase the number of daily rail services from the port from 28 to 30 over the next few months.”

The port currently operates two open-access, common-user rail terminals and in 2012 will construct an all-new third rail terminal. Co-financed by the European Union from the Trans-European network budget, the new terminal will double rail capacity on the port. It will also be another first for the Port of Felixstowe; the first terminal in the UK designed and built to accommodate longer, 30-wagon, trains.

Mr Gledhill added:

“Running longer trains will allow us to increase capacity by up to 25% without running any additional trains. This will ease the pressure of growth on the network and enable more containers to move by rail.”

Rail freight services at Felixstowe are offered by Freightliner, GB Railfreight and DB Schenker. Daily connections are available to and from Glasgow, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Cleveland, Birmingham, Doncaster, Tilbury, Selby, Hams Hall, Wakefield, Ditton (Widnes), Birch Coppice, Scunthorpe and Bristol.


ENDS

Notes to Editors

For further information, please contact Paul Davey, Head of Corporate Affairs, on Tel. No: +44 (0)1394 602063, Fax No: +44 (0)1394 604943 or E-mail: daveyps@hpuk.co.uk / www.portoffelixstowe.co.uk

Port of Felixstowe (PFL) is the largest container port in the UK, and one of the largest in Europe. PFL is a member of the Hutchison Port Holdings (HPH) Group. HPH, a subsidiary of the multinational conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa Limited (HWL), is the world's leading port investor, developer and operator with interests in a total of 50 ports, spanning 25 countries throughout Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, the Americas and Australasia. HPH also owns a number of transportation-related service companies.