A milestone has been reached for East West Rail, with the first commercial freight service now using the newly reinstated route between Oxford and Bletchley. The journey also marked the operational debut of Maritime Transport’s new Strategic Rail Freight Interchange (SRFI) at Northampton Gateway, bringing together two significant developments in the UK’s rail logistics landscape.
At 13:00 on Monday 16 June, a train, originating at DP World Southampton, hauled by locomotive “Maritime Intermodal Six”, rolled onto the East West Rail infrastructure at Oxford, travelling 35 miles (56 kilometres) to Milton Keynes where it connected with the West Coast Main Line. It marked the opening of new cross-country rail freight capacity, supporting the broader aim of shifting goods from road to rail across the UK logistics network.
East West Rail in commercial operation
East West Rail is a multi-phase government-backed initiative designed to re-establish a direct rail corridor between Oxford and Cambridge. Its first section, known as Connection Stage One, restores services for passengers and freight between Oxford and Milton Keynes. The 1,2 billion pound (1,42 billion euros) section was completed in late 2024.
“This is a big step forward,” said Gary Walsh, Director for Network Rail’s West Coast South route. “The new rail link has been designed to let trains move in and out at speeds of up to 40 miles per hour (64 kilometres per hour), which is much faster than usual for freight terminals. This means less disruption to passenger services and a smoother, more efficient railway overall.”
Maritime opens for business at Northampton Gateway
The inaugural train was also the first to call at Maritime Transport’s new SRFI at SEGRO Logistics Park Northampton. The 35-acre facility, directly connected to the West Coast Main Line via the Northampton Loop, was developed in partnership with SEGRO and Network Rail. The junctions allow rail movements at 40 miles per hour (64 kilometres per hour), significantly faster than the industry standard of 5 miles per hour (8 kilometres per hour).
“The arrival of our first service via EWR is an important step in expanding UK rail freight capacity,” said John Bailey, Managing Director – Intermodal, Maritime Transport. “This development demonstrates how infrastructure and private-sector investment can deliver a more efficient and sustainable supply chain, while easing pressure on a congested road network.”
A wider rollout of low-carbon services
The new service, operated by DB Cargo UK, runs five times per week between DP World Southampton and Northampton Gateway, with a capacity of up to 68 TEU per train (34 forty-foot containers). It’s one of several new flows introduced by Maritime Transport as part of a broader expansion of low-carbon logistics, connecting deep-sea ports with inland terminals.
“DB Cargo UK is proud to once again be partnering with its long-standing and strategic customer on this inaugural flow into Northampton Gateway,” said Roger Neary, Chief Sales Officer. “This new flow facilitates additional capacity into this important region of the country in a sustainable manner.”
Policy and investment backing modal shift
The service has benefited from infrastructure agency Network Rail’s Track Access Discount Scheme, which waives certain charges for new flows over their initial six-month period. The initiative aims to incentivise modal shift, reduce heavy goods vehicle movements, and support the growth of sustainable transport corridors. DP World also has an incentive scheme running at Southampton to encourage the take-up of rail services.
“Seeing both this new rail connection to Maritime’s SRFI and the East West Rail route in commercial freight use for the first time are huge moments in both projects,” said Brian Paynter, Capital Delivery Track Director, Network Rail. “Opening up this economically important rail route will greatly improve connectivity across the country.”
Supporting regional growth and green logistics
The SRFI sits at the heart of a 200 million pounds (234 million euros) logistics development, strategically located near Junction 15 of the M1 motorway. According to SEGRO, each train movement into the site has the potential to remove up to 76 HGVs from the roads.
“With rail freight contributing 1,7 billion pounds (two billion euros) to the economy, this milestone is not only a shot in the arm for growth, it also supports a greener, more efficient supply chain,” said Kate Bedson, Senior Director, National Markets, SEGRO. “We’re excited to see real momentum building at SEGRO Logistics Park Northampton.”