New cranes add to rail freight capacity at Port of Felixstowe
The latest Rail Mounted Gantry cranes (RMGs) at the Port of Felixstowe. - Credit: Archant
Rail freight facilities at the Port of Felixstowe have been expanded further with the commissioning of two new Rail Mounted Gantry cranes (RMGs).
The new cranes, which have been installed at the port’s North Rail Terminal, have been co-financed by the European Union Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) programme and manufactured by the Swiss-based company Leibherr.
In total, Felixstowe now has nine rail cranes and 16 tracks at its three rail terminals, making it the largest intermodal rail facility in the UK.
Together, the three terminals handle around 900,000 TEUs – 20-foot equivalent units, the standard industry measure of container capacity – a year.
Clemence Cheng, the port’s chief executive, said: “The Port of Felixstowe already has greater rail capability than any other port in the UK.
“In 2014, we handled 890,000 TEU at our three rail terminals on the 60 arrivals or departures we have every day. Volumes by rail are continuing to grow and are now over 20% higher than before we opened the North Rail Terminal in 2013.
“The frequency of services we can offer makes rail a much more reliable and viable alternative to 17 destinations in the UK helping to reduce road congestion and allowing customers to strip carbon out of their supply chains.
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“The new cranes will help us to move even greater volumes by rail in future.”
Leading rail freight companies Freightliner, GB Railfreight and DB Schenker all operate rail services at Felixstowe.
Regular services are run from Felixstowe to Birmingham, Manchester, Trafford Park, Scunthorpe, Hams Hall, Daventry, Wakefield, Bristol, Doncaster, Ditton, Liverpool, Selby, Leeds, Tilbury, Teesport, Burton-on-Trent and Coatbridge.
