Solent Stevedores £17.5 million rail freight growth at the Port of Southampton is now double award winning following a successful night at the RFG Awards. The cargo handler’s latest investment project, in partnership with Associated British Ports, has been officially recognised for driving rail freight growth across the country with Solent Stevedores also winning Business of the Year Award.
Judges at the awards hosted by the Rail Freight Group, the representative body for all rail freight in the UK, were impressed by the company’s long-term commitment to investments and their drive to lead a significant shift from road to rail cargo transport at the Port of Southampton.
The award-winning project will complete at the end of the year creating an 18-acre site linking existing intermodal rail transport site with laden and empty container handling, storage, maintenance, and repair within a single site boundary. This is a first for the UK’s number one gateway for global deep-sea trade and will support the shift in multimodal transport and transferring cargo movement from road to rail improving local air quality, reducing congestion, the cost of imported goods and transportation time.
Clive Thomas, Commercial Director at Solent Stevedores said: “We are incredibly proud to be recognised for our ambitions to drive rail freight growth at these very prestigious rail industry award. The double award reflects the hard work and dedication of our team and I’m delighted their contribution has been recognised.
“The project at the Port of Southampton is part of a long-term plan of improvements to our infrastructure and services that, in partnership with our port partners, will generate improvements in local air quality.”
Maggie Simpson OBE, Director General, Rail Freight Group, said: “The rail freight sector needs companies like Solent Stevedores, active and innovative players that are prepared to continually invest in making modal shift a reality. We all know that the UK needs to move more goods away from our congested road network and onto the railway and Solent Stevedores is one company acting to make the future of sustainable transport happen.
Paul Reeves, Head of Commercial at ABP Southampton said: It is great to be recognised for this award. We have worked closely with the Solent Stevedores throughout the project, and we are very proud to support them in expanding their business to offer additional rail capability and a container storage and repair facility on site at the Port. The project supports our sustainability ambition by enabling more freight to travel by rail and not moving containers off site to be repaired, therefore reducing emissions, and improving local air quality.