Port of Felixstowe

Landguard Terminal in the foreground with Trinity Terminal in the background

The Port of Felixstowe, in Felixstowe, Suffolk is the UK's busiest container port, dealing with 35% of the country's container cargo^{[citation needed]}. It was developed following the abandonment of a project for a deep-water harbour at Maplin Sands. In 2005, it was ranked as the 28th busiest container port in the world^[1] and Europe's sixth busiest.^[2] The port handled 3.3 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) of traffic in 2007, a ten percent increase on 2006.^[2]

Terminals

The port has two main container terminals, Trinity and Landguard as well as a RO-RO terminal, Dooley.

The main navigation channel is dredged to 14.5 metres below chart datum, with a maximum depth of 15 metres^{[citation needed]} alongside the quay, Felixstowe boasts deep-water able to accommodate the world’s latest generation of deep-draughted post-Panamax vessels. There is a continuous quay of over 2.3km, equipped with 29 ship-to shore gantry cranes.

Ownership

The port is operated by the Felixstowe Dock and Railway Company, which is one of the few limited companies in the UK that do not have the word "Limited" in their name as it was set up under an Act of Parliament.^{[citation needed]} In turn, the Dock and Railway Company is owned by Hutchison Whampoa Ltd.^[3] Much of the land on which it sits is owned by Trinity College, Cambridge.

The port has its own police force, Fire and ambulance services.

Development

Felixstowe South

In 2008 work began on the construction and reconfiguration of Felixstowe South terminal creating 1,300m of quay served by 13 new ship-to-shore gantry cranes. Work will be carried out in two stages with 750m of sea wall complete by the end of 2010 and stage which is expected to open in 2014. This new terminal will have a clearance of 16m and gantries suited for extra large box carriers. ^[4]

Transport connections and developments

The A14 connects the port to the English Midlands via the M6, the north via the M1 and M6 and A1 and via the A12 to London.

Each terminal has its own rail terminal which connects to the currently single track Felixstowe Branch Line.

Felixstowe and Nuneaton freight capacity scheme

Felixstowe and Nuneaton freight capacity scheme

Map of route
Proposer	Network Rail
cost estimate	£291m
completion date	2014

The Felixstowe and Nuneaton route will be upgraded to provide additional capacity for more freight trains and will also be cleared to W10 loading gauge allowing it to carry 'Hi-cube' shipping containers between the Port of Felixstowe and the West Coast Main Line at Nuneaton. The route from Nuneaton to Birmingham is already cleared to W12.^[5] This work is required to ensure that additional freight traffic from the expanded port at Felixstowe and also from the proposed Bathside Bay container terminal at Harwich. The percentage of high-cube containers is also expected to increase from 30% in 2007to 50% in 2012 and without gauge enhancement these larger containers would be forced onto the roads.^[6]

Work will include:

• Gauge enhancement to W10 on the Peterborough to Nuneaton section of the Birmingham to Peterborough Line involving the reconstruction of 14 bridges, 11 tracking lowering/slewing schemes and one accommodation bridge (cost £40.5m)^[7]
• Nuneaton North Chord (cost £25.6m)^[7]
• Dualling 8km of the Felixstowe Branch Line
• Dualling the Ipswich to Ely Line between Soham Junction and Ely
• Removing speed restrictions for freight trains between Ipswich and Peterborough

The work, which is detailed in the Network Rail Freight Route Utilisation Strategy, should be completed by 2014 ^[8] at an estimated cost of £291 million.^[7] The government is providing £80m^[9] and it will also receive £5m from Network Rail and £1m from the East of England Development Agency.^[10] It has been estimated that the scheme would take 225,000 lorries off the road^[11]

Copdock Roundabout

As part of the Felixstowe South development Hutchinson Ports will provide financial support intended to increase capacity at the Copdock interchange (J55) between the A14 and the A12.^[12]

References

External links

• Official website
• Suffolk Scenes Photography - Images of the Port

Coordinates: 51°57′15″N 1°18′37″E / 51.954171°N 1.310158°E / 51.954171; 1.310158