Liveried in Maritime Transport's own branding, the class 66 locomotives weigh 127 tonnes each, and can haul up to 2,000 tonnes of freight over 40 platforms in both directions daily. The event also marked the official signing of Maritime Transport’s new long-term contract with DB Cargo UK which, with effect from April 1, will see Maritime acquire an additional 4 locomotive services; three from Southampton to its Intermodal Freight Terminals in Tamworth, Trafford Park and Wakefield, as well as a Felixstowe to Wakefield service.
The signing forms part of a 10-year deal with further scope for more services, something which Maritime Transport is already focusing on, with intentions to soon commence services from London Gateway in addition to targeting services from its new terminal under construction at East Midlands, Castle Donington which is due for completion in September. John Williams, Group Executive Chairman of Maritime Transport, commented:
“Rail is now firmly part of our future, and although it's a challenging venture for us, it's one we are very much looking forward to. To have these two locomotives in the Maritime colours is a great honour, and with DB Cargo (UK), we are ideally placed to offer increased resource to our customers whilst focusing on how we can offer a greener, and more efficient way of transporting goods.”
Maritime Intermodal Three is already in the paint shop with further locomotives to follow as Maritime Transport looks to invest a further £20 million in the meantime upgrading its terminals, plant, systems and more personnel to support its ambitions in rail. DB Cargo (UK)’s Chief Executive Hans-Georg Werner said:
“This new agreement is a really excellent fit for both DB Cargo (UK) and Maritime, and both Maritime Intermodal One and Two provide a much greater scope and scale to offer complete supply chain coverage. We look forward to working with Maritime in a deal that shows road and rail need not be in competition, but can deliver more through collaboration.”
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