Northampton, UK: Construction of the new link to the Strategic Rail Freight Interchange at Segro Logistics Park Northampton is set to start soon. When complete next year, the site will have 5m sq ft of warehouse space from which freight company Maritime, switch gods between rail and road beside Junction 15 of the M1 motorway.
Next month railway teams will connect the under-construction interchange to one of Europe’s busiest mixed-use passenger and freight railway lines, by installing new track, points and signalling systems. The West Coast Main Line is one of the busiest freight routes in Europe carrying 40% of all UK rail freight traffic. To begin with four freight trains will serve the new Northampton interchange each day – with the capacity for more in future.
Kate Bedson, senior director of national logistics, Segro said: “The Strategic Rail Freight Interchange is a central part of the Segro Logistics Park Northampton development and we look forward to the connection to the rail network being completed so that the terminal can be operational ahead of the first customer occupying the first warehouse. We are confident that the short term disruption while this vital work is undertaken will be far outweighed by the longer term benefits of the overall development and the rail freight capability at this location.”
John Williams, Maritime executive chairman, said: “These developments, at Segro Logistics Park Northampton are important, long-term commitments for Maritime to reduce our environmental footprint by developing a network of low carbon, strategic freight connections across the country to promote modal shift from road to rail for container transport and for domestic distribution, with local distribution by electric-powered trucks.
“Building and operating modern, inland rail freight interchanges, supported by the largest dedicated fleet of vehicles in the country, enables us to deliver terminal to terminal rail solutions and highly efficient rail to door and door to rail services for our customers who are looking for long term, supply chain protection and sustainable transport solutions.”
