Strategic rail freight interchange

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Location of SRFIs; the letters relate to the entries below

A strategic rail freight interchange, or SRFI, is one of several freight terminals in Great Britain where containers can be swapped between nodes of transport, but always involving the use of railway infrastructure. Various governments from across the political spectrum in Britain have supported, or do support, the transfer of freight from road to rail where possible. The SRFIs are intended to run bulk intermodal trains to a point as close as possible to the containers' final destination. SRFIs come under the guidance for a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project.

Definition

The Department for Transport 2009 definition of an SRFI was "A Strategic Rail Freight Interchange (SRFI) is a large multi-purpose rail freight interchange containing rail-connected warehousing and container handling facilities. The site may also contain manufacturing and processing activities."[1] Network Rail further clarified that the difference between a Rail Freight Interchange (RFI) and an SRFI, was that an RFI was usually a standalone intermodal terminal (such as Stourton Freightliner Terminal in Leeds), and that an SRFI would be "...[a] Distribution park in excess of 60 hectares (150 acres) with integrated intermodal terminal facilities."[2] An SRFI should also be able to handle at least four incoming trains per day (and have the ability to increase on that number), with train lengths up to 775 metres (2,543 ft), and the appropriate layout to accommodate the length of the trains with minimal shunting necessary.[3] The rail network itself should be capable of handling intermodal trains up to 775 metres (2,543 ft) and the government in 2009, stated that Freight Facilities Grants should be available to enhance infrastructure to accommodate these longer trains.[4] The site should also be connected to the trunk road system.[5]

The policy around SRFIs from the UK government is that the interchanges should be part of a network that provides cost-effective logistics.[6] Many of the existing or proposed SRFIs are in the East and West Midlands, with some being in and around Rugby in Warwickshire and the surrounding area which is known to the logistics industry as the Golden Triangle.[7][8] The Golden Triangle (or The Golden Logistics Triangle) was first used to describe warehousing in the Midlands area in the 1980s. The area has been determined by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) to cover and area of 289 square miles (750 km2), and be within four-hours driving distance of 90% of the British population.[9] The intermodal points within the Golden Triangle are geographically distant enough from the ports on the coast of Britain to be financially advantageous for rail transport.[10] The planning and policy for SRFIs is covered by a specific guidance for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs).[11]

Operating terminals

The entries in the table below are operating or have planning permission and are under construction.

Name Location Map Coordinates[a] Details Operator Railway connection Road connection Ref
Birch Coppice Dordon A 52°35′28″N 1°37′55″W / 52.591°N 1.632°W / 52.591; -1.632 The Birch Coppice branch re-opened in 2002 to handle car parts, with intermodal trains following soon after. Maritime Transport Birmingham to Nottingham line A5/M42 [12][13]
DIRFT I Daventry B 52°20′49″N 1°09′58″W / 52.347°N 1.166°W / 52.347; -1.166 Opened in 2007 Malcolm Group West Coast Main Line (Northampton loop) M1 [12][14][15]
DIRFT II Daventry B 52°21′29″N 1°10′30″W / 52.358°N 1.175°W / 52.358; -1.175 Opened in 2005 Sainsbury's/Tesco West Coast Main Line (Northampton loop) M1 [12][14][16]
DIRFT III Daventry B 52°22′30″N 1°10′12″W / 52.375°N 1.170°W / 52.375; -1.170 Prologis West Coast Main Line (Northampton loop) M1 [12][14]
Doncaster iPort Doncaster C 53°28′48″N 1°06′32″W / 53.480°N 1.109°W / 53.480; -1.109 Opened in 2018 and covers 800 acres (320 ha) Medlog South Yorkshire Joint Railway (to East Coast Main Line) M18 [12][17]
East Midlands Gateway Castle Donington D 52°50′24″N 1°18′00″W / 52.840°N 1.300°W / 52.840; -1.300 Opened in March 2020, located close to East Midlands Airport SEGRO Castle Donington line M1 [12][18]
Hams Hall Lea Marston E 52°31′01″N 1°42′11″W / 52.517°N 1.703°W / 52.517; -1.703 Hams Hall was opened in 1997 on the site of an old power station. Maritime Transport Birmingham–Peterborough line M42/M6 [12][19]
Mossend Eurocentral East Glasgow F 55°49′34″N 4°00′04″W / 55.826°N 4.001°W / 55.826; -4.001 Opened in 1994, the site has access to the A8, M8, and is 10 minutes from the M74 and M73 DB Cargo West Coast Main Line M8 [12][20]
Mossend International East Glasgow G 55°49′34″N 4°00′04″W / 55.826°N 4.001°W / 55.826; -4.001 PD Stirling West Coast Main Line M8 [12]
Northampton Gateway Northampton H 52°10′59″N 0°54′47″W / 52.183°N 0.913°W / 52.183; -0.913 Opened in summer 2025 Maritime Transport West Coast Main Line (Northampton loop) M1 [12][21][22]
Wakefield Europort Normanton J 53°42′47″N 1°24′25″W / 53.713°N 1.407°W / 53.713; -1.407 January 1996 Maritime Transport Hallam Line M62 [12][23]
  1. ^ Coordinates centred on the railway sidings

In progress terminals

Name Location Map Coordinates[a] Details Operator Railway connection Road connection Ref
Radlett Radlett, Hertfordshire I 51°42′54″N 0°19′37″W / 51.715°N 0.327°W / 51.715; -0.327 Under construction SEGRO Midland Main Line M25 [12][24][25]
West Midlands Interchange Four Ashes K 52°41′06″N 2°07′16″W / 52.685°N 2.121°W / 52.685; -2.121 The development will cover over 300 hectares (740 acres) and has been described as a "nationally significant project". Maritime Transport Rugby–Birmingham–Stafford line M6 [12][26][27][28]
  1. ^ Coordinates as per application documents

Proposed terminals

The entries in the table below are proposed, and are either awaiting planning permission, or are subject to inquiries.

Name Location Map Coordinates[a] Details Size[b] Operator Railway connection Road connection Ref
East Midlands Intermodal Park Willington L 52°51′50″N 1°35′13″W / 52.864°N 1.587°W / 52.864; -1.587 Goodman Crewe–Derby line A38/A50 [12][29]
Gascoigne Interchange Sherburn-in-Elmet M 53°46′41″N 1°12′32″W / 53.778°N 1.209°W / 53.778; -1.209 Built on the former coal disposal point at Gascoigne Wood Harworth Leeds to Hull line A63/A1(M) [12][30]
Oxfordshire Strategic Rail Freight Interchange (OXSRFI) Ardley N 51°55′52″N 1°13′16″W / 51.931°N 1.221°W / 51.931; -1.221 Application is expected to be submitted in November 2025 60 hectares (6,500,000 ft2) Oxfordshire Railfreight Limited Cherwell Valley Line M40 [12][31]
Parkside East Newton-le-Willows O 53°26′53″N 2°36′07″W / 53.448°N 2.602°W / 53.448; -2.602 To be built on land opposite the former Parkside Colliery 64.55 hectares (159.5 acres) Intermodal Logistics Park North West Coast Main Line, Chat Moss Line M6 and M62 [12][32][33]
Port Salford Salford P 53°27′47″N 2°23′17″W / 53.463°N 2.388°W / 53.463; -2.388 Proposed as the first trimodal SRFI in the UK, with direct trans-shipment between road, rail, and ship. 150,000 square metres (1,600,000 ft2) Peel Ports West Coast Main Line, Chat Moss Line M60 [12][34][35]
  1. ^ Coordinates as per planning proposal
  2. ^ Proposed size in hectares at the planning stage

See also

References

  1. ^ BTISRFI 2009, p. 23.
  2. ^ "Rail freight map intermodal sector" (PDF). ww.networkrail.co.uk. p. 2. Retrieved 28 February 2025.
  3. ^ "Strategic Rail Freight Interchange Policy Guidance" (PDF). assets.dft.gov.uk. p. 13. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 November 2013. Retrieved 28 February 2025.
  4. ^ BTISRFI 2009, p. 16.
  5. ^ Humphries, Michael (2016). National infrastructure planning handbook 2016. Haywards Heath: Bloomsbury. p. 61. ISBN 978-1-78043-851-1.
  6. ^ Sładkowski, Aleksander (2022). Modern Trends and Research in Intermodal Transportation. Cham: Springer International Publishing AG. p. 385. ISBN 978-3-030-87119-2.
  7. ^ Bodman, Andrew (18 November 2020). "Freight Interchanges". Rail Magazine. No. 918. Peterborough: Bauer Consumer Media. p. 40. ISSN 0953-4563.
  8. ^ Pickering, Graeme (January 2024). "Midlands Connect looks at future freight needs". The Railway Magazine. Vol. 170, no. 1, 474. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. p. 74. ISSN 0033-8923.
  9. ^ "The rise of the UK warehouse and the "golden logistics triangle" - Office for National Statistics". www.ons.gov.uk. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  10. ^ Shannon, Paul (2024). British Railways freight terminals since 1960. Manchester: Crecy. p. 177. ISBN 978-1-80035-292-6.
  11. ^ "Strategic rail freight interchange policy guidance" (PDF). data.parliament.uk. p. 2. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r "Intermodal Sector" (PDF). www.networkrail.co.uk. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  13. ^ Shannon, Paul D. (2020). British Railway Infrastructure Since 1970: An Historical Overview. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Books Limited. p. 41. ISBN 1526734796.
  14. ^ a b c "Prologis RFI DIRFT". prologis.co.uk. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
  15. ^ "Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal approval confirmed". BBC News. 4 July 2014. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
  16. ^ "9,000 jobs on the way with new DIRFT expansion near Rugby". Warwickshire World. 20 January 2016. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
  17. ^ Coward, Andy (21 October 2020). "iPort rail builds on impressive start". Rail Magazine. No. 916. Peterborough: Bauer Media. p. 50. ISSN 0953-4563.
  18. ^ "Maritime's strategic rail freight interchange officially opens". Global Railway Review. 5 March 2020. Retrieved 28 February 2025.
  19. ^ Shannon, Paul (2024). British Railways freight terminals since 1960. Manchester: Crecy. p. 191. ISBN 978-1-80035-292-6.
  20. ^ Lowe, David (2005). Intermodal freight transport. Oxford: Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann. p. 145. ISBN 0-7506-5935-1.
  21. ^ "Future freight boost through new Northampton rail to road interchange". Network Rail Media Centre. 9 August 2023. Retrieved 28 February 2025.
  22. ^ Wilcock, Richard (6 August 2025). "New Northampton freight runs via EWR". Rail Magazine. No. 1041. Peterborough: Bauer Consumer Media. p. 18. ISSN 0953-4563.
  23. ^ Shannon, Paul D. (2020). British Railway Infrastructure Since 1970: An Historical Overview. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Books Limited. p. 106. ISBN 1526734796.
  24. ^ Pickering, Graheme (February 2025). "Bridge for Radlett connection installed". The Railway Magazine. Vol. 171, no. 1, 487. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. p. 77. ISSN 0033-8923.
  25. ^ Walton, Simon (17 February 2026). "Radlett SRFI moves into construction phase". RailFreight.com. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  26. ^ "West Midlands Interchange - Project information". national-infrastructure-consenting.planninginspectorate.gov.uk. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
  27. ^ Jones, Tamlyn (10 April 2024). "Maritime Transport to operate new £1bn West Midlands Interchange". Business Live. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
  28. ^ Smith, Adam (27 October 2024). "Alteration to proposed link road for giant £1 billion West Midlands Rail Freight Interchange lodged". Express & Star. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
  29. ^ "East Midlands Intermodal Park". www.planning.data.gov.uk. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  30. ^ "Gascoigne Interchange postcard" (PDF). harworth.wpenginepowered.com. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  31. ^ "Oxfordshire Strategic Rail Freight Interchange". planning.data.gov.uk. Retrieved 28 February 2025.
  32. ^ Okell, Nathan (7 November 2024). "First stage of plans submitted in bid to create huge rail freight interchange". St Helens Star. Retrieved 28 February 2025.
  33. ^ "Parkside Strategic Rail Freight interchange background paper" (October 2020). new.sthelens.gov.uk. p. 3. Retrieved 28 February 2025.
  34. ^ "Port Salford". www.oceangateway.co.uk. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  35. ^ Hatmaker, Julia (19 June 2023). "Port Salford railway, airport tweaks approved". Place North West. Retrieved 15 February 2026.

Sources

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