London Gateway rail link opens early after cargo ship fire


The very first rail freight service has run out of London Gateway – two months before the port is due to open.
DB Schenker was drafted in to run an emergency service out of the new deep sea port after a cargo ship was forced to dock for maintenance after a blaze broke out on the vessel.
A fully-loaded service left London Gateway on September 24 for Db Schenker’s Trafford Park terminal.
Carsten Hinne, managing director, Logistics for DB Schenker Rail UK, said: “This has been an incredible effort and demonstrates how the team, and indeed the industry, has come together to help support ZIM and its customers.
“I haven’t seen collective support from the industry like this in any way before and it’s amazing to think we have put a service together in just a few days – let alone from a non-operational port.”
DB Schenker Rail will run regular services to Trafford Park and Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal from London Gateway when the port officially opens in November.

Ok looks good for the PR. Are all the customers happy with this whole situation and did they get the containers out of the port in an efficient manner ??. Was the London Gateway workforce / casual labour forced or persuaded to work the extra hours to complete this ship ( working time directive ). Competition is good within the port industry......but alas flexible rostering & banked hours is going back to the 1930s. London Gateway " the new modern port " NO IT IS NOT.





I think the most frustrating thing is the lack of communication from Zim / China Shipping etc. to their Customers. We all knew that LG not being officially open and there would be teething problems. But after a week after arrival, with containers still not discharged, it makes you wonder if Zim were just a bit shortsighted just wanting the "glory" of being the 1st Vessel into the new London Gateway. UK Border Agency should have also rejected it knowing that the infrastructure was not in place to accept such a Vessel.

I am not an expert on any of this just an interested bystander! We have goods on this boat. We were told on Monday that the container had been off loaded and would be delivered this week. We were then told, less than one hour later, that because the BF(?) had found traces of radio activity on some of the containers delivery was cancelled and the container was held! We have heard nothing since Monday.

Having worked on the Port of Felixstowe for the best part of 30 years in various rolls from sweeping the floors to a senior staff position, and also at the Port of Ipswich for a couple of years, again various rolls including being a Shop Steward. I feel I can comment on the posts before, one small point I would like to make is that London Gateway will end up with a recognised union, this will happen only after it is up and running. Why am I sure of this ? Well I know a few of the workforce( I was nearly one but decided it was not for me. )all who have been in the industry a few years and have worked in various ports around the world including the UK. All are members and have said that they will make it a priority to get as many of the workforce possible to join a union and indeed quite a few are already members, this will inevitably grow and grow, when the numbers reach over 50% that is the time LG will have to reconsider. I predict that within 24 months, if LG is a success ? LG will be unionised.

Comments

  1. Hi - I'm just finishing a book on the flow of goods from China to the UK and the US. As part of it, there's a whole section on the Port of Felixstowe and I'd really like to e-mail/message people who work there, or sail from there, or used to work there to get more of an idea of what it's like - how busy it is, how friendly, what the work's like, etc., any other insights or anecdotes you have. You can remain completely anonymous of course, if you like. The book will be published by Bloomsbury this year. Would you be happy to talk to me via messaging/e-mail? If so, please e-mail me asap at alisonhulme@live.co.uk. Thanks. :-)

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment