SEGRO has signed a 25 year lease with Maritime Transport, who will operate the Strategic Rail Freight Interchange (SRFI) at SEGRO Logistics Park East Midlands Gateway (SLP-EMG), and base their Rail Headquarters at the site.

The 22.5 acre rail terminal will handle up to 16 775m-long freight trains daily and provide storage capacity for over 5,000 TEU (the measurement of capacity of container terminals) – which is equal to approximately 45,000 pallets of cargo. 

A purpose-built 20,000 sq ft office will become the Rail Headquarters under the ‘Maritime Intermodal’ division and will house operations staff, state-of-the-art training facilities and parking for up to 100 trucks.

Completion of the rail freight terminal is expected in late 2019, and the office element in summer 2020.

This is the first rail freight interchange in the East Midlands and will connect to the Castle Donnington freight line, providing direct access to the UK’s network of Rail Freight Interchanges and all major UK Ports. The site is strategically located in the near centre of England with Nottingham 13 miles to the northeast, Leicester 20 miles to the south and Derby 14 miles to the northwest.

Andrew Pilsworth, SEGRO Business Unit Director National Logistics, said: “We are thrilled to have signed Maritime Transport as the rail freight operator at SEGRO Logistics Park East Midlands Gateway and to be the home for their Rail HQ operations. Strategic Rail Freight Interchanges are recognised by the government as being nationally important, both economically and environmentally. The demand we are witnessing for the efficient movement of goods – driven by customer demand and technology – shows no sign of abating and SLP-EMG is a key piece of infrastructure in meeting this need.”

SLP-EMG has planning consent for up to six million square feet of logistics accommodation – a third of which is already under contract.

Simon Smart, CEO, Maritime Transport, said: “We’re looking forward to launching the SLP-EMG site as our flagship rail depot. Our intention is to use our logistics expertise within the intermodal sector to attract a significant number of new rail services to the terminal by offering a cost-effective, highly-reliable and environmentally-efficient intermodal product.”

As well as being regarded by the government as nationally important, Strategic Rail Freight Interchanges bring benefits to local communities – reducing traffic congestion and improving air quality.