Proclaimed by its owners as part of the best rail connected complex in the UK, the Port of Immingham is to be the site of a huge new ferry development. A partnership between Associated British Ports and StenaLine will see the east coast port and the Swedish shipping line enter into a long-term commercial relationship, premaritally developing roll-on roll-off capacity. This announcement follows a consultation plan to expand the port’s bulk and intermodal handling capacity significantly.

Associated British Ports already claim to generate about one quarter of UK rail freight and look set to consolidate that proportion with their joint agreement to develop a new freight terminal at the Port of Immingham, part of their portfolio of four facilities on the Humber estuary. The 100 million pound (111 million euro) agreement will see the Swedish ferry company operate the new terminal for the next fifty years.

Growing intermodal demand

Perceived congestion and capacity issues further south have seen freight on routes into the Humber booming since Brexit. Growth in traffic from the UK has seen ports in the east becoming more attractive to the industry at large. Immingham is already well known for bulk cargo by rail – particularly biomass for customers such as Drax power station. However, the port has growing intermodal demand, and the ferry port development could boost that handling capacity.

Much has been said about the UK truck driver shortage, encouraging more logistics customers to consider rail for intermodal loads. Immingham’s owners ABP has already announced a public consultation on the proposed ‘Eastern Terminal’ for roll-on, roll-off traffic. At the start of the year, Stena Line relocated its Rotterdam freight service to Immingham, which is already the largest port in the UK by tonnage. The move has allowed Stena to become the terminal and shipping operations provider. Immingham also recently took delivery of a fleet of new container cranes, significantly increasing handling capacity and versatility.

Freight at record levels

Immingham is one of four designated intermodal terminals operated by ABP. Of note for rail freight operators, Stena reported a significant rise in unaccompanied freight (28 per cent year on year). The facilities at Immingham will be well placed to handle even more in the future. “Our track record in recent years of investing in new infrastructure is making the Humber the place to be for trading links between the Midlands and North of England, and the rest of the World”, said Simon Bird, their Humber Director. “ABP’s ports in the Humber have fantastic facilities and connections for traders across Europe and beyond.”

For Stena Line, the partnership with Immingham answers the shipping lines own ambitions. “Our freight levels are at record levels and are continuing to increase,” said Niclas Martensson, their Chief Executive. “We want to build on this success and provide additional services to our most important business needs, those of our customers, with the development of a brand new terminal and berths at the Port of Immingham.”