GB Railfreight ran its first train in its new slot at the Port of Felixstowe on 2 September. The freight operator has been able to increase its capacity at the Port by over one fifth (23%).
The new slot, GB Railfreight’s 7th at the Port, was awarded after a competitive bidding process. It marks an important milestone in GB Railfreight’s operations at the Port, its first new slot since 2012.
The slot allows trains to run from Felixstowe to Birmingham Intermodal Freight Terminal (BIFT) at Birch Coppice in the West Midlands, a major intermodal freight terminal owned by Maritime Transport. It is the first train serving this route out of the Port, meaning it will be actively switching freight from road to rail.
Trains will run to and from the Port once a day, five days a week (Monday to Friday) over the next five years. The first train, locomotive 66761, left the Port for Maritime Transport’s Birmingham Intermodal Freight Terminal, Birch Coppice, at 10:29 am.