A scheme designed to transfer freight from road to rail has removed 64,300 truck journeys from roads in its first year, according to one of the UK’s largest port operators.
DP World in Southampton started offering a financial incentive to move shipping containers by rail in September 2023.
The aim is to make rail travel to distribution hubs in the Midlands more viable, taking lorries off the congested M3 motorway and A34 dual-carriageway.
DP World imposes a £10 charge for every laden container arriving in the UK’s third-largest terminal. That money is used to reduce the cost of rail journeys of less than 140 miles. The incentive is £70 for each container. Containers travelling longer distances by rail have the £10 levy refunded.
A year ago, only one container in…
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RAIL (Digital) - 1 Issue, Issue 1023