Archives
Feature, Freight News, Sea
Teesport takes the train strain
[ February 26, 2016 // Chris ]PD Ports will handle most of Hitachi Transport System Europe’s (HTSE) imports for Hitachi’s new railway carriage assembly line in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham.
The train body shells are coming into PD Ports’ Teesport on a new K Line ro ro service along with a few being brought into the port by road where they will be stored prior to onward transportation to the facility.
Since September 2015, K Line has been operating its new 7,500-unit vessels from the port of Tokuyama-Kudamatsu, Japan to Teesport.
Once at Teesport, the body shells are towed from the vessel in a specific order and then manoeuvred using bespoke lifting equipment designed by PD Ports in partnership with HTSE. The 26 metre-long body shells are then placed onto vehicles before being transported to a secure storage area at the port.
Each vessel will carry a maximum of 18 body shells, which will eventually make up five- or nine-car inter-city trains for the UK rail system.
PD Ports’ business development director, Geoff Lippitt, commented: “To be an integral part of the Hitachi supply chain is a role we are very proud to undertake. The importance of Hitachi Rail in the wider economic context of the North-East is of tremendous significance and will provide a much needed boost to the region.”