EWS Network launches new services at the Port of Southampton

EWS Network has introduced two new daily services to its rapidly expanding terminal at the Port of Southampton.

The new daily return services, which were introduced on 12 February, are delivering intermodal containers to EWS Network terminals at Trafford Park in Manchester and Wakefield in West Yorkshire. In total, both services will deliver over 70,000 containers per annum by rail.

These new trains are part of the expansion of the EWS Network rail freight terminal at the Port of Southampton, a project which commenced late last summer. The investment in this terminal, involving additional sidings, container storage facilities and container handling equipment, will enable EWS Network to increase the number of trains operated from four to 10 a day.

Once the terminal upgrade has been fully completed EWS Network will be handling over 350,000 containers per annum by rail at the Port of Southampton, a significant expansion. EWS Network has been able to use new capacity as the upgrade progresses and seven daily return services currently connect the Port of Southampton with:

• Manchester Trafford Park - seven trains per week
• Wakefield - ten trains per week
• Burton - six trains per week
• Hams Hall - five trains per week
• Widnes - five trains per week
• Birmingham International Freight Terminal - two trains per week.

Destinations for other new daily return services are currently being planned and will be announced in the near future. The expansion programme at the Port of Southampton has been developed by EWS Network with Associated British Ports, and customers have been fully consulted to ensure new services meet their requirements.

EWS Network, working with Pentalver Transport Limited, also offers container handling services at the port, including the loading and unloading of customer containers and the collection of containers from other parts of the port.

Duncan Clark, EWS Network Business Manager, said: “In a few short months, EWS Network has been able to increase capacity from four to seven trains a day. This has created new rail capacity to move over 100,000 additional containers per annum from the Port of Southampton. Once the entire upgrade is completed next month, we will have created new capacity to enable over 350,000 containers per annum to be moved by rail. Through innovative thinking and listening to its customers, EWS Network is delivering what they need at the Port of Southampton.”