Operated by DP World, the service is scheduled on Saturdays and will carry cargoes of fresh fruit, beverages and consumer goods between the terminals in less than five hours.
The company claimed the service will take up to 120 lorries off the road every week, cutting carbon emissions by up to 80%.
The first service ran in November 2022 and the company plans to increase the frequency of the service in 2023 in a bid to improve connectivity and ease motorway congestion by replacing lorry journeys.
John Trenchard, UK Commercial & Supply Chain Director of DP World, said: “DP World is unique in offering customers a choice of deep-water entry and exit points to and from the UK. This new rail service will make it even easier for our customers to switch volumes quickly and easily between the two locations, which means greater flexibility and choice.”
“After the disruption of recent years, shipping lines and cargo owners are looking for capacity, reliability and growth opportunities. We are providing it, enabling customers to move goods smoothly and efficiently in and out of the UK and across their supply chains,” Trenchard added.
The new rail service comes as construction gets underway on London Gateway’s fourth berth, a £350m project which is set to begin operation in 2024.
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