The Solent Rail Terminal has recorded more than 55,000 containers handled since opening following the multi-million-pound upgrade that completed six months ago at the Port of Southampton.
Terminal operator Solent Stevedores has seen an increase in containers entering and leaving the port via rail compared to the same timeframe in the previous year taking approximately 16,000 lorries off the road in the last six months.
The rail freight terminal underwent a significant upgrade in partnership with ABP that completed in March this year. The project was driven by a need to encourage cargo off the road and onto rail, contributing towards improving the local air quality and the Department for Transport’s target to be Net Zero by 2050.
The newly expanded 18-acre site is linked to the existing intermodal rail site offering laden and empty container handling, storage, maintenance and repair in a single-site boundary. The Maintenance and Repair team onsite has completed over 8,000 repairs to Refrigerated containers (Reefers) and dry vans in this time.
A spokesperson for GAC Pindar, customer of Solent Stevedores, said: “Having the Solent Stevedores Terminal on our doorstep has been invaluable for us over the last few months. Their flexibility and reactivity alongside their prime location within the docks means they are our first choice when it comes to complex event cargo coming in and out of Southampton”.
Mark Hooper, Director of Containers and Rail at Solent Stevedores, said: “The updated Solent Rail Terminal has been a key milestone in responding to the Government’s target to reach Net Zero by 2050. Not only are we meeting current demand for moving cargo by rail but we have the capacity to accommodate future increase in demand.
“We’re really pleased with the high levels of performance we’re seeing from the Solent Rail Terminal in the six months since it opened.”