ABP goes Multimodal

Associated British Ports (ABP) is the UK's largest and leading ports group. ABP's 21 ports, together with the other transport-related businesses that constitute the ABP Group, form a UK-wide network capable of handling every conceivable type of cargo. ABP is backed by investment in modern facilities and equipment, and supported by experienced staff.

The Group's activities cover transport, haulage and terminal operations, ship's agency, dredging and marine consultancy. Each port also offers a well-established community of port-service providers.

ABP operates ports/terminals in Ayr, Barrow, Barry, Cardiff, Fleetwood, Garston, Goole, Grimsby, Hull, Immingham, Ipswich, Kings Lynn, Lowestoft, Newport, Plymouth, Port Talbot, Silloth, Southampton, Swansea, Teignmouth and Troon.

Grimsby

Located on the South Bank of the country’s busiest trading estuary, Grimsby is a highly versatile port that is well placed to offer superb transport links and logistical services tailored to customers’ specific requirements, providing a wide range of specialist port services and facilities. Grimsby caters for all types of cargo and handles vessels of up to 6,000 dwt. In addition, Grimsby is the chief vehicle-handling centre for the North, handling almost 450,000 vehicles annually for leading manufacturers. The port is also home to the UK’s most advanced fish market.

Immingham

Together with its sister Port of Grimsby, Immingham is the UK’s largest port by tonnage, handling almost 57 million tonnes in 2007. Benefiting from a prime deep-water location on the Humber Estuary, Immingham provides excellent access to the trade routes between the UK and Scandinavia, the Baltic states and mainland Europe. The port’s links extend throughout Europe, to North and South America, Africa, Australia, the Middle East and the Far East. The opening of Humber International Terminal 2 and DFDS Nordic Terminal Riverside, coupled with ongoing investment, have helped to secure Immingham’s place at the forefront of the UK port industry.

ABP Connect

Based at the Port of Southampton, ABP Connect is the value-added services division of ABP, offering an impressive range of port-related services. A dynamic and innovative operation, ABP Connect makes the most of its extensive resources, experience and expertise to offer an integrated-services package tailored to its customers’ specific needs. Through its Southampton operations, ABP Connect:

Provides an in-house stevedoring service that handles in excess of 600,000 vehicles shipped through the port, per annum
Processes in excess of 100,000 new vehicles per year to ISO 14001 standards through its comprehensive technical services facilities
Manages vehicle storage facilities for automotive manufacturers
Provides mooring, baggage handling, portage and ship stores services for calling cruise ships
Offers container, groupage, storage, order picking, packaging and a comprehensive HM Customs & Revenue-documentation service at Southampton Free Trade Zone

ABP Connect owns and operates one of the country’s premier railfreight terminals – the 11 ha Hams Hall. Located about 7 km outside of Birmingham, the terminal is situated adjacent to the Nuneaton-to-Birmingham railway line and handles deep-sea and short-sea traffic to and from ports such as Southampton, Tilbury and Felixstowe, as well as traffic via the Channel Tunnel and domestic traffic from Scotland.

Since its acquisition by ABP Connect in 2002, an ongoing expansion programme has seen operational capacity at Hams Hall treble. At peak, Hams Hall handles up to 1,000 containers a day.