DP World’s rail boost slashes emissions

Launched in September 2023, the Modal Shift Programme aims to increase the use of rail transportation for containers arriving at DP World Southampton, incentivising customers to move cargo by rail instead of road.

“The outstanding success of the Modal Shift Programme at Southampton in its first year is testament to our commitment to provide customers with more choices for their supply chains,” said John Trenchard, vice president – Commercial & Supply Chain, DP World in the UK.

“With this significant increase in rail freight volume, equivalent to the transfer of approximately 6 million road miles to rail, we are giving more of our customers the opportunity to explore the benefits of rail to the sustainability and resilience of their containerised supply chains.

Financed through a small charge on all inbound containers, the programme has boosted rail freight at Southampton from 21% to over 30%, with a target of reaching 40% by 2026.

Over the past 12 months, DP World has introduced four new rail freight services linking Southampton to Birmingham, Cardiff, East Midlands Gateway, and Doncaster.

The company also recently launched a second rail service between its Southampton and London Gateway hubs, effectively doubling the rail freight capacity between two of the UK’s largest container ports.

This additional service has the potential to remove up to one million road miles annually, providing more opportunities for customers to use rail, reduce road traffic and further decrease emissions.