Britain’s Rail Freight Group (RFG), comprising more than 100 members from shipping lines to high street chains, bestowed the title to DP World Southampton, which runs the terminal.
DP World Southampton impressed judges for offering the most reliable port rail feed service of its kind in the UK, with a near 100% success rate for delivering container boxes to rail.
The accolade is especially significant as boxes moved by rail account for 36% of the terminal’s throughput, with each freight train removing an estimated 60 lorries from congested roads.
An average 3,000 boxes a week are moved by DP World Southampton to and from the dedicated Freightliner Maritime Terminal
Chris Lewis, Managing Director, DP World Southampton, said: “Exemplary customer care is at the heart of our philosophy and, with this prestigious award, we can justifiably say that the terminal offers the most reliable port rail feed service for boxes-to-rail in the UK.
“Indeed, the rail freight service has never been more reliable and efficient out of Southampton, and it’s fantastic to get this recognition from the rail freight industry.”
He added: “None of this was achieved by chance, though. We can prioritise boxes for rail because we know what an integral part they are for the overall supply chain operations, and our staff are committed to delivering the best service for our customers.
“Logistics and supply chain managers are demanding more flexibility and just-in-time delivery, often not deciding what mode of transport to use until their boxes have arrived here.
“Our response to such unpredictability, despite us being one step removed from the supply chain at this stage, was to rise to the challenge to ensure Freightliner can in turn meet the needs of its customers further along in the supply chain.
“We brought in a unique ‘sprinter’ feed which brings boxes straight from the operational stack to directly underneath the Freightliner cranes for the loading and discharging of trains, and this bespoke service is another proactive example of customer care.
“Boxes rarely miss trains, less than 0.5% overall, and the improved productivity is benefitting all processes in the supply chain.
Rail freight volumes at Southampton jumped from 30% to 36% in four months on the back of the W10 Southampton to Nuneaton (West Coast Main Line) Gauge Clearance Project, which was declared open in February 2011 and is Britain’s latest rail freight highway.