“The cleanest, most sustainable freight operation,” is the stated goal of Maritime Transport, according to Executive Chairman John Williams, as his company officially opened its ‘Strategic Rail Freight Interchange’ (SRFI) Northampton gateway at Segro’s logistics park near Northampton, UK East Midlands, last Friday. His company aim to move a quarter of its multimodal cargo by rail, “in supply chains that can’t fail.”
Maritime’s ninth rail freight terminal provides direct northbound and southbound connections to the UK’s West Coast Main Line railway via the Northampton loop. Delivered through an £80m investment into rail by Segro and designed as a modern, open-access facility, the 17-acre SRFI can accommodate the UK’s longest and heaviest freight trains and up to 16 services per day, with container storage capacity exceeding 2,500 TEU.
The SRFI was integrated into the national rail network in 2025, followed by the launch of a five-day-a-week intermodal service connecting Northampton with DP World’s Southampton Port. The service was the first to operate over the full length of the reinstated Oxford–Bletchley section of East West Rail, establishing a new east–west corridor across central England. Additional rail services are planned as part of a phased expansion programme at Northampton, providing further inland connections to the UK’s major deep-sea ports and other UK freight interchanges.
Located at the heart of the UK’s logistics ‘golden triangle’, SLPN sits adjacent to Junction 15 of the M1, offering direct access to the national motorway network and ability to reach 90% of the UK population within approximately 4 hours’ drive time. The development spans over 600 acres and will ultimately deliver around five million sq ft of logistics accommodation, with rail connectivity embedded as a central element of the site’s design.
Access to Rail Freight
The opening event brought together senior figures from across the logistics community, including ports, shipping lines, freight forwarders, retailers and supply chain partners, as well as representatives from local authorities and central government. Speakers included Minister of State for Rail Lord Hendy, Huw Merriman of the Rail Freight Group (and former Transport Minister), and Paul Dunne, Managing Director, Operations, Digital and Customer at Segro plc.
Williams called for fair competition between road and rail freight in he UK, particularly in regards to port admission costs. “We are committed to creating the cleanest, most sustainable full-load supply chain in the country, utilising rail for long-distance journeys and eHGVs for first and final miles, and Northampton Gateway Rail Freight Terminal is an important step in delivering that ambition.” The ultimate goad is a network of rail freight terminals along the spine of the UK for intermodal operations.
Alongside rail investment, the event also highlighted Maritime’s growing zero-emission road capability. Four eHGVs were on display, delivered through Maritime ZERO, the company’s zero-emission road transport division.
A lead partner in the government-backed Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID) programme, Maritime is deploying more than 50 eHGVs nationwide while developing one of the UK’s largest privately operated charging networks for heavy goods vehicles. As part of this programme, Northampton will host high-powered charging infrastructure and eHGV operations under the eFREIGHT 2030 project, enabling zero-emission road movements to be integrated directly with rail services, positioning the site as a flagship rail-served hub for low-carbon logistics and demonstrating how rail and road decarbonisation can be delivered across commercial freight operations.
John Williams added:
This year, as Maritime marks 25 years in business, the official opening of our Strategic Rail Freight Interchange represents another significant milestone in our journey from a small container haulier to a fully integrated road and rail freight logistics partner. Moving freight from road to rail remains one of the most effective ways to reduce carbon emissions across the supply chain. Since 2019, we have invested more than £100 million in developing our rail terminal network, with further investment planned to increase national capacity, strengthen connectivity between the UK’s major ports and inland markets, and expand the rail capability available to our customers.
Lord Peter Hendy, Rail Minister, said:
Our rail freight industry is hugely important to keeping goods moving across the country. We’re committed to growing it because of its benefits for both the economy and environment, and our Railways Bill includes both a growth target and a duty on Great British Railways to promote rail freight. It was brilliant to be at the opening of the new Strategic Rail Freight Interchange at Northampton, which is a big vote of confidence in the rail freight industry.
Huw Merriman of the Rail Freight Group commented:
Congratulations to the teams at Maritime Transport and Segro for investing in, and delivering, this phenomenal new rail-connected logistics hub. The jobs, trade and growth which they have delivered for UK Plc is in the finest traditions of the private sector and what it can do for our economy if encouraged and given the foundations to thrive. This new rail hub is a boost for all who strive to grow rail freight and is a testament to a commitment to move more freight on the UK’s railway and decarbonise the logistics sector. It was a pleasure to watch the project develop during my time in Government.
