Today marks the first anniversary of PD Ports' intermodal rail terminal at Teesport.

PD Ports welcomed the arrival of the first Freightliner train at the terminal in November 2014 as part of a £3M investment to improve connectivity for freight movements between the Port and the rest of the UK.

Initial connections included Felixstowe and Southampton but within months of the terminal opening, new daily routes to Mossend and Grangemouth in Scotland were established when PD Ports collaborated with DB Schenker Rail UK.

The rail terminal is part of PD Ports' wider growth strategy at Teesport which in the past five years has seen £60M invested in developing, upgrading and enhancing capacity to meet the demands of its customers and position the Port as the northern gateway for containerised goods destined for the North of the UK.

Geoff Lippitt, PD Ports' Business Development Director, commented: "We have invested significantly in expanding the intermodal services available at Teesport.

"Our partnership with Freightliner and DB Schenker demonstrates how businesses across the north can work together to fuel the Northern Powerhouse in finding ways to build a better connected north and make greater use of our rail network and waterways to move goods around the country.

"Our facility at Teesport has the potential to further attract logistics activity to sites with efficient low cost transport networks and reinforces our commitment to finding solutions that are best for customers, consumers and the environment," concluded Mr Lippitt.

Further connections are expected with the Midlands and North West in line with market demand.