Rail container service for Port of Liverpool

Peel Ports is to launch a rail container service as part of an integrated package for customers using the Port of Liverpool.

It is in contract discussions with both a rail provider and shippers, with the aim of running the first services before the end of 2017. The aim is to give shippers a seamless route to market, from quayside to any UK destination served by major rail lines, or vice versa.

Gary Hodgson, strategic projects director, said: “This is the next step in our journey to provide shippers with a more integrated, end-to-end answer for their cargo needs. It’s also an important milestone in our evolution as a company and underlines how serious we are about being a genuine partner in the supply chain community.”

The company said the available train path capacity directly to and from the Port of Liverpool is currently among the highest of all major ports within the UK.

Peel Ports is also backing calls from Liverpool Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram for significant investment in the Victorian-era rail infrastructure serving the east-west corridor.