14


Issue 2 2014 Freight Business Journal


Expanded Mossend ‘will boost Scots intermodal business’


The £250 million expansion of the Mossend International Railfreight Terminal in Central Scotland will help shiſt freight from road to rail, says site owner and terminal operator PD Stirling. Mossend International


Railfreight Park will increase capacity by two thirds and offer a rail link to UK and European


markets, along with 200,000sq m of warehousing allowing occupiers to load directly to and from trains. The new terminal will be able to handle 775-metre long electric trains. It will also create 4,900 jobs. A planning application for


the expansion of the existing Mossend Railhead and the new


Railfreight Park was submitted in November to North Lanarkshire Council by PD Stirling and joint venture partners the ID Meiklam Trust. A decision on the planning application is due in early summer 2014. Construction is programmed to start in 2015 with phased development of the site to 2030. The Scottish Government’s


proposed Third National Planning Framework, which


has been


submitted to the Parliament and is expected to be adopted in June of this year, recognises Mossend as one of three important freight interchanges and highlights that rail freight will become increasingly important as exports grow.


///NEWS GBRf calls for


more cash for rail terminals


GB Railfreight told the Department for Transport that there should be incentives for investment


in Strategic Rail


Freight Interchanges (SRFIs) and freight warehouse facilities across the network, in its submission to the consultation on the draſt National Networks National Policy Statement (NN NPS). The NN NPS sets out the policy agenda against which decisions on applications for nationally significant infrastructure projects on the national road and rail networks will be made. GBRf said that specific


terminals that it would like access to include Wolverhampton and Round Oak in the Midlands and a new terminal near Toyota’s


factory in Derby would also be useful. Incentives could include grants


but there might also be a system of match funding, coupled with a more progressive and speedier planning system to support developments. The rail operator also asked that


any future policy looked beyond road and rail and considers infrastructure at the UK’s ports. Specifically, GB Railfreight wants to see significantly more investment (both private and public) into northern ports including improvements to the Immingham corridor from the port along the Aire and Trent Valley river, as well as improved links to the Port of Liverpool.


Enthusing the logisticians of the future


The European Logistics Association will hold the first- ever European Supply Chain Day on 10 April. Activities such as school visits, tours of warehouses, opening up back-offices to visitors, talks and site visits will take place across the UK and throughout Europe on the same day. Held under the umbrella of the


European Logistics Association (ELA), the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) - the UK’s nominated member


association within the ELA - will be the primary contact point for all UK-based Supply Chain Day activities. CILT chief executive


Steve


Agg states: “A main focus will be with young people as we seek to inform them of the great career opportunities that exist within our profession. I encourage all levels of participation in this new and exciting European development.” http://ciltuk.org.uk/supplychainday or email: melanie.stark@ciltuk.org.


Europa takes


260,000 sq ſt for new Dartford hub


Europa Worldwide Logistics, the company taken over by former RH Freight boss Andrew Baxter, says it has made its biggest single investment in a new head office and South of England Hub at Prologis Park in Littlebrook, Dartford. Europa has signed a lease


agreement with specialist developer Prologis for 262,500 sq ft of space that will be tailored to Europa’s exact requirements.


Construction


will start in early summer, with a target to be operational


in spring 2015 when all 230 Europa staff based at the existing head office in Erith will move to Littlebrook. Littlebrook complements the


northern hub at Prologis Park Midpoint in the West Midlands. Following his purchase of


the company in August 2013, Andrew Baxter announced plans for significant investment in the business. Europa expects to add a number of additional routes in 2014 and it also has plans to open another branch in the East Midlands area.


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