An ambitious project by EWS Network to increase rail container services to and from the Port of Southampton has won the Innovation Award at the International Freighting Weekly awards, held last in London on 19 June 2007.

With the judges commenting that innovations can bring wider multiple benefits, customers have benefited greatly from a range of new rail freight services, longer trains, new storage facilities and faster loading and unloading at this key port. These benefits have all been delivered by EWS Network through a greatly enhanced rail freight terminal.

The work by EWS Network sought to enhance service delivery and has seen a range of results including:
* Trebling of the number of containers EWS Network’s terminal at the Port of Southampton can handle each year
* 50% reduction in the time it takes to load a train than before the enhancements
* Increase in the number of trains that can be loaded daily from four to 10
* Longer tracks have enabled trains to be extended by 30% enabling more containers to be moved per train
* New EWS Network storage area for containers
* Reduction in the carbon footprint of customers as more containers are going by rail rather than road

Duncan Clark, EWS Network Business Manager, said: “This award goes to all EWS Network staff and suppliers who have transformed our terminal at the Port of Southampton, and to our customers who are benefiting from the new facility. We are proud of what we have achieved at Southampton and are delighted to be operating trains with increased volumes. EWS Network has the innovation to increase the movement of containers by rail and looks forward to continuing to provide the right service to its customers.”