A new destination has been added to the range of intermodal rail connections available from the Port of Felixstowe. The new service, operated by GB Railfreight, links the UK’s largest container port with iPort Rail in Doncaster, a new multimodal logistics park next to Junction 3 of the M18 motorway in South Yorkshire.

iPort Rail is a new, 30-acre multimodal rail freight facility in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. It is part of the iPort multimodal logistics hub, developed by Verdion and home to companies including Amazon, CEVA, Fellowes and Lidl.

Departures

The new service departs the port’s South Rail Terminal at 04:05 from Tuesday to Saturday, arriving in iPort at 10:47. The return service departs at 15:32, arriving back in Felixstowe at 23:25. Regular rail services are also run from Felixstowe to Glasgow, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Teesport, Birmingham, Birch Coppice, Doncaster, Selby, Hams Hall, Wakefield, Ditton (Widnes), Rotherham and Cardiff.

“This new Felixstowe service highlights the growth iPort Rail is experiencing since welcoming its first commercial service late last year, and the increasing significance of our facility to national and international supply chains. Being part of Verdion’s iPort multimodal logistics hub means that 87 per cent of the UK population is within a four-hour drive of our terminal, with easy access to the national motorway network and sea transport links as well as rail freight routes increase”, Steve Freeman, Managing Director of iPort Rail said.

Greater choice

Commenting on the new destination, Clemence Cheng, Chief Executive Officer at the Port of Felixstowe and Executive Director of Hutchison Ports, said: “With nearly 1.5 million TEUs moving between Felixstowe and locations in the Northern Powerhouse region each year, Felixstowe is already the North’s major gateway for global trade. This new connection provides businesses in this vital region with greater choice of ways to get their goods to market.”

John Smith, Managing Director of GB Railfreight (GBRf), added: “I am thrilled to see the beginning of this new service. It is fantastic to be working once again with valued friends and partners. Our growth in intermodal speaks to GBRf’s commitment to innovation, offering flexible and innovative door-to-door solutions that meet our customers’ needs, as well as a consistently reliable service.”