Toton-Rail.co.uk, 

Railway Photography by Paul Robertson

East Midlands Gateway container terminal

The SEGRO East Midlands Gateway (EMG) terminal opened in early 2020, providing a container terminal with excellent transport links being situated next to East Midlands Airport, the M1 motorway & A50. Initially two services were introduced, one by DB Cargo and one by Freightliner, both linking the terminal with Felixstowe. Services have come and gone, with regular trains currently operating from Felixstowe and Southampton, with a recent trial of a class 93 operated 90mph train between the terminal and Scotland.

The initial phase of the terminal saw 3 sidings lines in use, but this has now been extended on the East side with another 2 lines installed as well as hard standing. These extra lines are however shorter and require trains to be split.

Photographs taken during the construction phase:

16/04/18

21/04/18

30/06/18

15/01/19

21/05/19 - first track laying

First train to operate to the terminal - 17/12/19 - a trial from Southampton with empty containers (a horrible foggy night)

The first commercial trains operate in January 2020

17/01/20

20/01/20

28/01/20

25/03/20

23/06/20

25/06/20

16/07/20

17/08/20

Note the above shots (& the night shots further up) of the trains being loaded/standing in the terminal were taken with a pole over the boundary fence, but are no longer possible as they extended the hard standing and moved the fence further back and invariably there are containers or vehicles in the way now - plus the security staff are quickly upon you if you venture off the footpath).

22/09/20

20/04/21

21/04/21

18/05/21

27/05/21

15/06/21

15/07/21

17/07/21

23/08/21

14/03/22

18/03/22

11/04/22

21/06/22

22/06/22

07/07/22

09/08/22

12/08/22

16/05/23 - East side expansion works are well under way

05/09/23 - Expansion works complete