The East Midlands Gateway is a game-changer for freight logistics. Strategically located near the M1 motorway, it provides an ideal connection to the UK's major road network and the Port of Felixstowe.
With its unique combination of road, rail, and air transport links, the East Midlands Gateway is an attractive location for businesses looking to streamline their supply chains. The site has been designed to accommodate a range of logistics and distribution facilities, from warehouses and factories to offices and maintenance depots.
The East Midlands Gateway is also home to a state-of-the-art rail freight terminal, which can handle up to 2 million containers per year. This makes it an essential hub for the transportation of goods by rail, reducing congestion on the roads and lowering carbon emissions.
History of East Midlands Gateway
In 2011, the UK government announced a policy to encourage the development of strategic rail freight interchanges.
The plans for the East Midlands Gateway were first submitted in 2014, which led to planning hearings the following year.
Local residents formed the "J24 Action Group" to voice their objections to the proposal, citing concerns about the site's green countryside status and the availability of brownfield sites.
A petition to the then Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Rt Hon Eric Pickles MP, gathered 1,331 signatures in support of the objections.
Permission to proceed with the proposal was granted on 2 February 2016, through the introduction of the UK Statutory Instrument, The East Midlands Gateway Rail Freight Interchange and Highway Order 2016.
Construction of the East Midlands Gateway was largely completed in 2019, paving the way for the first freight train to serve the interchange on 7 January 2020.
East Midlands Gateway Campus
The East Midlands Gateway Campus is a strategic location for logistics service providers in Europe, catering to customer needs and integrating supply chain operations.
It's home to a 695,000 sq ft warehouse, a rail terminal operated by Maritime, and a 14-acre container depot, all within the boundaries of a freeport.
This infrastructure is designed to connect the dots of logistics for both import and export from one source, making it an ideal location for ease of trade in the UK.
The campus is centrally located, with good access to the UK's five major ports, the rail/road network, and key airports for both imports and exports.
It's part of the so-called 'Golden Triangle' in the United Kingdom, where 90% of the population can be reached within 4 hours or less from the central location.
The East Midlands Gateway campus is Maersk's fourth warehousing facility in the Golden Triangle area, joining hubs at Doncaster, Kettering, and Tamworth.
As the e-commerce market in the UK continues to grow, more companies are relying on strategically located distribution centres to meet demand, making the region a hub of commercial activity.
The campus is the perfect blueprint for optimising connectivity and flexibility within supply chains, with vast infrastructure and cutting-edge technology across the site.
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Supply Chain Management
At East Midlands Gateway, supply chain control is key to maximising revenue. This is achieved by giving customers the flexibility to make secondary decisions on future moves as market situations dictate.
Traditionally, UK supply chains have been somewhat rigid and one-dimensional. Companies can now move goods into the UK at speed, with the opportunity to make adjustments as needed.
Being able to speed up and slow down supply chains when needed can bring a clear number of business benefits. For example, if a company has a stockholding in the East Midlands Gateway warehouse, they can use its connectivity to respond to consumer demand quickly.
Sales could be strong for a particular item in Italy, so with that information, companies can take dedicated air freight options to get inventory on location at speed and maximise revenue. This helps to get stock where it's needed, when it's needed.
Demand may not always marry perfectly with supply, and companies could be at risk of overstocking in certain areas. East Midlands Gateway can draw out the process and hold containers until they're required by the market.
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Companies can also divert their slowed down cargo away from the UK and into the hands of more favourable consumers. This is made possible by the campus' connections to prominent business areas.
Having a more free-flowing and integrated supply chain, married with warehouse solutions, adds flexibility to where cargo spends its time in storage. This could potentially save money on high Detention and Demurrage costs at ports.
Sustainable Practices
Maersk has ensured operations at East Midlands Gateway run in the most sustainable way possible. This includes constructing the 695,000 sq ft warehouse to net-zero specifications.
The ambition is for the connected container yard to also run with net-zero emissions. Electric reach stackers are in the pipeline for the near-future to fully decarbonise operations.
Maersk is looking to utilise a fleet of EV trucks for internal traffic. This will manage all internal traffic from the rail terminal, to the container yard, to the warehouse, to the depot and vice versa.
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Maersk will also use electric vehicles for final deliveries in close proximity to the campus. This ensures the green credentials and benefits extend beyond just East Midlands Gateway.
The goal is to support Maersk's ambitions to deliver net-zero emissions by 2040. This will also support companies' individual sustainability goals that can translate into a commercial advantage.
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Geotechnical Design
The SEGRO Logistics Park East Midlands Gateway is a remarkable example of geotechnical design in action. The 700-acre site provided a blank canvas for SEGRO to create a logistics gateway that would shift freight from road to rail.
To achieve this goal, SEGRO appointed geotechnical engineers to advise on the geotechnical design of the proposed site before earthworks were tendered. This forward-thinking approach helped ensure that the site was prepared for the high-bay warehouses and rail terminal.
A major challenge involved providing a large, level plateau for the high-bay warehouses and rail terminal through a major cut to fill earthworks programme. This required rigorous specification and selection of earthworks materials to support geotechnical compliance requirements.
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The work involved forming a cutting to accommodate the rail terminal and achieve the rail-line gradients needed to operate freight trains. This was a complex task that required careful planning and execution.
Raising the level of the A453 dual carriageway adjacent to the junction was also a key aspect of the geotechnical design. This involved providing access to the site while ensuring the stability of the surrounding infrastructure.
The geotechnical design of the foundations and embankments for the bridge on the A50 was another critical component of the project. This required careful consideration of the site's geology and topography.
Today, the SEGRO Logistics Park East Midlands Gateway is a model for sustainable logistics development. It's a testament to the power of geotechnical design in creating a more efficient and environmentally friendly transportation system.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who owns East Midlands Gateway?
SEGRO owns East Midlands Gateway, a major logistics hub in the UK
What junction is East Midlands Gateway?
East Midlands Gateway is located between Junctions 23a and 24 of the M1 motorway.
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