Scotland’s largest port, Grangemouth, has completed and opened a multimillion-pound rail freight hub with the introduction of the DRS’s (Direct Rail Service) Aberdeen freight train service.
The £3m investment will provide increased capacity, as well as securing its position as a key strategic freight and export/import hub for Scotland.
The announcement comes as Scottish railways were made a key focus of announcements earlier this week in the Union Connectivity Review, with plans for a rail tunnel to Northern Ireland and further connection with Newcastle.
Previously 200m in length, the new dual rail siding, at 775m, has the ability to handle the longest freight trains on the UK network and is the first rail freight terminal to offer this option, providing enhanced container and domestic intermodal options.
With on-site distribution warehouses with cross-docking possibilities, the freight hub is within a few miles of the main supermarket distribution centers within Central Scotland.
This will be of particular benefit to those importing food, drink and perishables sectors into Scotland, helped by Grangemouth’s key strategic location.
Derek Knox, Senior Port Manager at the Port of Grangemouth said: “The opening of our new freight rail hub comes at an important time for the freight market as businesses are seeking flexible, resilient, and greener supply chain solutions.
“At the Port of Grangemouth, we have the unrivalled position of being truly interconnected for sea to rail and rail to sea, with the added flexibility of direct road access into Central Scotland and beyond.”
