WORK has begun on extending the South Rail Terminal at the Port of Felixstowe to increase the terminal’s capacity by 16,500 containers a year.

The existing rail terminal is being extended by 39 metres on all three lines, to accommodate trains with 22 wagons, as opposed to the current trains with 20 wagons.

This will lead to an approximate increase in train volume capacity of 10 per cent a year.

The work is due for completion during May, before the terminal takes delivery of a new rail-mounted gantry crane from China.

Chris Lewis, chief executive of Hutchison Ports (UK), which owns the Port of Felixstowe, said: “We are experiencing ever-increasing rail volumes, and must continue to develop and improve our facilities in order to meet customer expectations.

“We are committed to in-creasing the share of freight transported by rail through the port, and the current undertakings will improve speed, reliability and service integrity for rail customers.”

In the long term, the terminal will be equipped with two brand new rail-mounted gantry cranes, supported by two ‘reachstacker’ vehicles operating over the full length of the extended terminal.