The Port of Grangemouth has completed and opened a multimillion-pound rail freight hub with the arrival DRS’s Aberdeen freight train service. [see images attached with this release].

The new rail freight hub at Scotland’s largest port, saw an investment of £3million and with this increased capacity, it further secures its position as the key strategic freight and export/import hub for Scotland with a direct link to the port’s busy container terminal.

The new dual rail siding of 775 metres – previously 200 metres – can handle the longest freight trains on the UK network and is the first rail freight terminal to offer this and provide enhanced container / domestic intermodal options. This is of particular benefit for customers in the food, drink and perishables sectors across the Scottish freight community.

Commenting on the opening, Derek Knox, Senior Port Manager at The Port of Grangemouth said: “The opening of our new freight rail hub comes at an important time for the freight market as businesses are seeking flexible, resilient, and greener supply chain solutions. At the Port of Grangemouth we have the unrivalled position of being truly interconnected for sea to rail and rail to sea, with the added flexibility of direct road access into Central Scotland and beyond.

 We have invested over £30million in infrastructure and equipment over the past five years at the port and this new rail offering combined with our established port operations and streamlined customs processes creates a unique solution for our existing and future customers.” 

 Chris Connelly, Deputy CEO and Rail Director of NTS which operates Direct Rail Services, said: “This is fantastic news and this investment demonstrates the vital role rail freight plays in our economy and its importance in ensuring goods reach supermarkets quickly and reliably. Rail freight reduces carbon emissions by 76 per cent compared to road and this new siding will allow even longer, heavier trains, further increasing their environmental credentials and meaning fewer lorries on our roads.”

The Port of Grangemouth has on-site distribution warehouses with cross docking possibilities and is within a few miles of the main supermarket distribution centres within Central Scotland.  Grangemouth’s key strategic location in Scotland allows customers to take advantage of the excellent road, rail and shipping network that the port offers. Existing services link Grangemouth and its sister port in Tilbury on the Thames with a connection through Daventry.

11 March 2021                                               -Ends-