DP World wins ‘Business of The Year’ at Rail Freight Group awards

DP World scored a remarkable success at the 2024 Rail Freight Group honours event, winning both the coveted ‘Business of the Year’ award and the ‘Driving Rail Freight Growth’ award.

Recognition for DP World’s expansion of rail freight services followed another impressive year across its end-to-end logistics business in the UK. Highlights including the success of its flagship Modal Shift Programme, which has increased the share of rail freight from 21% to more than 30% since its launch in September 2023 at the Southampton logistics hub. The programme’s success has also resulted in the launch of four new daily services at the Southampton rail terminal, taking the total number of weekly scheduled trains at Southampton to 172.

Following high demand, the programme has been extended to run until December 2025. DP World Southampton is now targeting towards a 40% rail freight share in 2026, alongside a goal to take an estimated 300,000 truck journeys off UK roads each year, marking a major milestone for DP World’s commitment to achieving its decarbonisation goals.

John Trenchard, Vice President – Commercial & Supply Chain, DP World in the UK said: “We are honoured to have won these two prestigious awards at the Rail Freight Group annual event. With the extension of the landmark Modal Shift Programme until the end of next year, we plan on doubling down on its success to help give our customers more choices and to reduce costs, minimise environmental impact and build more resilient supply chains.

“As customers face multiple challenges, including economic uncertainty, increased regulatory risk, and the urgent need to decarbonise supply chains, unlocking new, more efficient ways to do business is key and innovation in rail services continues to be a standout way of transforming the logistics sector.”

In addition to its hubs at Southampton and London Gateway, DP World’s offer includes logistics, forwarding and European transport capabilities, all of which are being integrated into the company’s global network. Operating in 78 countries, DP World handles 10 per cent of world trade.