24 July 2013

Felixstowe Extends Rail Advantage
Rail services from the Port of Felixstowe have been boosted with the start of the latest new service from the UK’s largest container port.
The new service, operated by Freightliner Limited, is the port’s 30th daily rail service, and runs to Doncaster in South Yorkshire.
Commenting on the start of the new service, Clemence Cheng, Chief Executive Officer of Hutchison Ports (UK) Limited, owners of the Port of Felixstowe, said:
“As the best connected port in Britain we already provide a bigger choice of rail options than are available at any other UK port; helping our customers save time, money and carbon. The latest service from Freightliner brings to 60 the number of freight train movements we handle each day and will take around 1.75 million HGV miles each year off the strategic road network.”
This new service comes quickly on the heels of Hutchison Ports’ investment in a third rail terminal at the port. The new terminal opened in June 2013 and will double rail capacity at Felixstowe.
Speaking about the new service, Adam Cunliffe, Managing Director of Freightliner Limited, said:
“The additional service to Doncaster from the Port of Felixstowe is in response to the continued demand for quality rail services from our customers. The service represents a further switch of volume from road utilising a new state of the art Powerhaul locomotive, allowing full use of the New North Rail Terminal's capacity for 30 plus wagon services. The service will be supported by Freightliner's own road fleet for final collection and delivery to and from Freightliner's Doncaster terminal. The unique ability of Freightliner to offer a complete logistics solution alongside the exciting New North developments at the Port of Felixstowe have provided the basis for further rail served growth which otherwise would not have been possible.”
Rail services at Felixstowe were given a further lift last week with the news that the European Commission has earmarked €1.7 million from its Trans-European Network budget towards the cost of three new Rail-Mounted Gantry cranes at the port’s new North Rail Terminal.

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. Hutchison Port Holdings (HPH), a subsidiary of the multinational conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa Limited (HWL), is the world’s leading port investor, developer and operator. The HPH network of port operations comprises 320 berths in 52 ports, spanning 26 countries throughout Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, the Americas and Australasia. Over the years, HPH has expanded internationally into other logistics, transportation-related and hotel businesses. These include cruise ship terminals, airport and hotel operations, distribution centres, rail services, and ship repair facilities. In 2012, the HPH port network handled a combined throughput of 76.8 million TEU worldwide.