PD Ports is amending its inland rail service between Teesport in North East England and destinations in Central Scotland. The operator says it will offer more space and more frequent trains for clients in both directions. They say the move is in response to demand for more rail freight opportunities.
The current pattern of services at Teesport operates on discrete days from one of two intermodal terminals in Scotland. PD Ports says they are working with their operating partner DB Cargo UK, and with the infrastructure agency Network Rail facilitate more frequent and longer trains. The detailed timetable has yet to be finalised.
A modest increase in train length
“Scottish businesses have long relied on dependable logistics to connect them with global markets,” says a company statement. “Now, PD Ports is making that connection even stronger.” The port company, with operations from North East England to the Isle of Wight, is proposing to augment their rail forwarding operation to better connect Teesport to the Scottish intermodal terminals at Mossend and Grangemouth.
The operator claims it will introduce their first “jumbo rail service”, creating new daily capacity for companies moving goods between Scotland and the rest of the world. A modest increase in train length will be married with an increase in frequency and a new pattern of operations, which will see all trains call at both terminals in Scotland.
“A new era of connectivity”
“For more than 15 years, PD Ports has recognised the importance of connecting Teesport’s shipping lines with Scotland’s industrial heartlands,” says the company in a release to customers. “Distilleries, retailers, manufacturers and chemical producers depend on smooth, reliable supply chains. Teesport has been their gateway.”
Until now, separate services ran to Mossend and Grangemouth, says PD Ports. “With demand consistently filling wagons, PD Ports worked with Network Rail and DB Cargo to trial and approve a longer service. “The result?” asks PD Ports rhetorically. “A new 16-wagon jumbo train – two wagons longer than before – offering 40 additional slots per week.”
New timetable on the way
Daily services will offer more flexibility, says PD Ports. “With trains running to both Mossend and Grangemouth every day, businesses can drip feed volume without reverting to road.” Jo Edmenson, Business Development Manager, PD Ports, said they had listened to their customers. “This service is designed around their needs – reliable, sustainable and flexible enough to handle volumes daily.
The trains from Scotland will continue to run from Grangemouth (already a busy short sea port and industrial centre) and from Mossend (a purpose-built logistics hub near Glasgow) to Teesport, an important deep-water port on England’s north-east coast, already handling global trade.
Although bookings are open for cargo on the services, a spokesman for PD Ports confided that the timetable is not fully ironed out with the partners involved. However, with paths already available, it should be no more than an issue of working out detailed timings. “100% firm and ready to share within the next couple of weeks,” WorldCargo News was told. “It is an amalgamation of both services, combining them to create one Scotland service.”