DB Cargo UK has operated the first commercial freight train on the newly reinstated East West Rail infrastructure between Oxford and Bletchley. The train, serving Maritime Transport’s new terminal at SEGRO Logistics Park Northampton, connects the inland site directly with DP World Southampton.
Service connects Southampton port to Northampton Gateway
The new intermodal service runs five days a week and can transport up to 68 TEUs per train. Operated by DB Cargo UK, the connection provides a direct inland route from one of the UK’s key container ports to a central logistics hub located near Junction 15 of the M1 motorway.
Maritime’s new 35-acre site at Northampton Gateway is part of a £200 million (approximately EUR 235 million) infrastructure programme backed by SEGRO. The facility has been formally integrated into the national rail network and includes a rail connection to the West Coast Main Line via the Northampton Loop. The track design allows train movements between the main line and the terminal at speeds up to 40 mph (64 km/h), in contrast to traditional yard access speeds of 5 mph (8 km/h).
East west rail section now in commercial use
The new freight service is the first to run the full length of the reinstated Oxford–Bletchley section of the East West Rail corridor, a publicly supported rail project aiming to restore east–west connectivity between Oxford and Cambridge. The corridor offers freight operators an alternative to north–south axis lines, particularly through the Midlands.
The service has received backing through Network Rail’s Track Access Discount Scheme, which waives access charges for six months to support new freight flows.
Terminal development continues at logistics park
The Northampton Gateway terminal is located within SEGRO’s logistics park, which has recently completed its initial rail infrastructure and warehouse for Yusen Logistics. The development is positioned within the so-called “golden logistics triangle,” a core freight region of the UK. Additional rail freight activity at the site is expected as operations scale over the coming months.
