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Freightliner and MSC renew contract

MSC, one of the world’s leading container shipping companies, has signed a new contract with Freightliner Ltd, the UK’s leading intermodal rail freight operator, increasing railed container volumes to the North West.

The renewed contract is an expansion of the existing Freightliner/MSC (UK) Ltd service, moving 30,000 container moves per annum. The increase in volumes will remove more than 6,000 additional lorry journeys per year from the UK’s congested road network.

This announcement follows the transfer of MSC’s services at The Port of Felixstowe to the ports newly developed, state of the art Berths 8 and 9.

Adam Cunliffe, managing director, Freightliner Limited said: “We are delighted to have renewed our North West service with MSC and look forward to further developing this key rail route from the Port of Felixstowe with MSC. The contract helps to support the additional capacity that MSC is providing through the new Berth 8 and 9 at Felixstowe that are able to support the new generation 14,000 teu container ships. In addition, it is intended that the service will be hauled by Freightliner’s new PowerHaul locomotives which uniquely combines, longer trains enabling increases in container volumes with reduced CO2 emissions.”

Kelvin Wilden, operations director, MSC (UK) Ltd commented: “MSC is delighted to have renewed its North West contract with Freightliner that has proven to be so successful over the last five years. We have a long standing relationship with Freightliner supporting a number of services on a daily basis. Reliability and flexibility are a prerequisite of all our rail service providers and need to be proven before awarding any new contract. MSC is committed to supporting its rail product demonstrated by running some of the best utilised intermodal trains in and out of the Port of Felixstowe. Freightliner as an existing service provider remains well placed to help us maintain this commitment now and into the future.”