SUFFOLK-based transport group Maritime has taken over as operator of a major rail freight terminal in Essex.

The move represents Felixstowe-based Maritime’s first step into rail terminal operations and is part of a wider plan to develop rail-connected operations at strategic locations around the UK.

It has taken over the existing rail contracts at the Riverside Rail Terminal at Tilbury, on the River Thames, and aims to increase train throughput by bringing new services to the terminal.

Unlike the other rail terminals at the London port, the facility ? which will now operate as Tilbury Railport ? offers open access to all train operators for any type of unitised traffic. It can can accommodate two full trains at any one time and Maritime plans to run the facility 24 hours a day, six days a week.

“More and more companies are looking for rail solutions as part of an environmentally responsible approach to logistics and we are keen to facilitate this growing requirement,” said John Williams, managing director of Maritime Transport Ltd.

“Rail plays a key part in the development of our overall service provision and Tilbury Railport is an exciting move for us, boosting the company’s intermodal capability and environmental credentials, as well as providing new employment at the port.”

Perry Glading, managing director at the Port of Tilbury, added: “We are really delighted that Maritime has become the new operator of the Riverside rail terminal.

“It is a first class facility and Maritime has all of the expertise and experience to develop the terminal and make it an even greater success in the future.”

As well as providing train loading/unloading services, Tilbury Railport offers secure, flexible, off-dock loaded and empty container storage.

Maritime, which has been trading since 1974, is one of the largest privately-owned transport companies in the UK, employing around 900 staff and drivers across the country and operating a fleet of 900 lorries.

Besides its base in Felixstowe it also operates depots at key locations including Bristol, Hams Hall (near Birmingham), Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Southampton, South Shields (near Newcastle) Thamesport (Kent), and Tilbury.

It works for global container shipping lines and logistics companies including Agility, APL, COSCON, CSAV, Evergreen Marine Corp, Hanjin Shipping, JF Hillebrand, Hamburg Sud, Hapag-Lloyd, Hyundai Merchant Marine and UASC.