Second freight rail service to link container ports

A rail service between the Port of Southampton and London Gateway was set up in 2022

A second rail service is set to link two of the UK's largest container ports.

Port operator DP World announced there would be an additional weekly rail service connecting the London Gateway and Southampton container facilities.

The new mid-week train will be operated by Freightliner from Tuesday.

DP World said it would reduce carbon emissions by cutting more than one million truck miles each year.

The first weekly service between London Gateway - a large container terminal and distribution facility at Thurrock in Essex - and the Port of Southampton was launched in 2022 to enable swift and reliable freight transit between the two locations.

Last year, DP World introduced "modal shift" incentives to use rail in September, paying £70 per shipping container and then £100 from January.

The firm said rail's share had subsequently risen from 21% of containers in early 2023 to 35% in March 2024.

John Trenchard, vice president of commercial and supply chain at DP World, said there were "clear benefits" to a second rail service.

"Providing a cleaner and more cost-efficient way to move cargo across the country is a key priority for DP World in the UK, and modal shift has consistently proven to be a reliable and flexible solution," he said.