Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) and UK rail freight operator Freightliner have signed an historic contract today to provide OOCL with a dedicated round trip train for ten years. The contract, which begins on 3 September 2001, is the first of its type to be signed between Freightliner and a global container transportation and logistic provider for this length of time.
The train will run five days a week round trip between Southampton and Manchester, improving the efficiency and quality of moving containers. The Southampton/Manchester route was chosen as Southampton is called at by OOCL’s deep-sea vessels to and from Asia and the USA, whilst Manchester is a natural inland rail hub for OOCL’s extensive customer base in the North of the UK.
Freightliner will operate this service using a dedicated class 66 locomotive, which is best suited and most reliable for this form of round trip service. A new class 66 locomotive will be named “OOCL Express” later this year.
Ted Wang, Managing Director, OOCL (Europe) Ltd, London said, “This is a very important contract to OOCL for many different reasons. Firstly, it will provide OOCL with long-term access to rail capacity when trucking in the UK is becoming increasingly difficult. In turn this will allow us to maintain and improve upon our service quality to customers many of whom require a high standard of inland transport to and from their UK premises. Secondly, moving more of our business to rail will help the environment. Thirdly, it demonstrates OOCL as an innovator with a long-term vision being put into practice. I am confident OOCL will in the future transfer more of its inland transport in Europe from road to rail and this contract with Freightliner is a step in this direction.”
Alan Galley, Managing Director, Freightliner Ltd, London said: “We are delighted that OOCL has made this long-term and historic commitment to Freightliner. Past service success has helped us negotiate this ten-year contract but it is OOCL’s confidence in Freightliner’s ability to keep delivering an effective and reliable service that has secured it. It also shows that rail freight is not only an environmentally friendly transport alternative to congested UK roads but that Freightliner’s services are also economically competitive.”
OOCL, headquartered in Hong Kong, is a global container transportation and logistic provider operating from 160 offices in 50 countries. Linking Asia, Europe, North America, the Mediterranean, the Indian sub-continent, the Middle East and Australia/New Zealand, the company offers transportation services to all major trading economies of the world. Internet web site: www.oocl.com
Freightliner Limited is Britain’s biggest Intermodal freight transport operator. The company operates over 100 daily trains supported by a road fleet to provide Intermodal transport.
