Surplus land up for grabs courtesy of Freightliner 

The offer is aimed at encouraging logistics operators and industry partners to invest in rail-based operations as part of broader efforts to promote modal shift. 

Freightliner is looking to partner with businesses whose operations align with decarbonisation and modal shift objectives.  

In a company statement, Freightliner stated: “Subject to reconfiguration of our intermodal terminals, we can make land available to lease to rail freight customers whilst investing further in increased intermodal capacity.”  

The Southampton site, one of the UK’s busiest intermodal terminals, offers direct connectivity to the container port, supporting deep-sea traffic and hinterland rail services. Liverpool, with its established rail corridor to the Midlands and beyond, similarly serves as a critical node for short-sea and feeder services in the Irish Sea and North Atlantic trades. 

While Southampton and Liverpool are likely to draw the most interest from the maritime logistics community, other sites also feature in the development portfolio. 

Doncaster, a key inland node, and Bristol, which serves a mix of intermodal and bulk flows, both offer proven terminal infrastructure with scope for expansion. Bristol’s seven-acre site at South Liberty Lane is already active in aggregates and tank container traffic and benefits from reconnected track and signalling reinstated after the original line closure in the 1990s.  

The facility’s location near Temple Meads station makes it well-suited for regional distribution. Road-access site at Cannock completes portfolio Freightliner is also offering a non-rail-connected site at Cannock, in the West Midlands. Although not currently served by rail, it remains a potential logistics hub with strong road links and scope for future rail integration.  

The site is well placed in the UK’s “logistics golden triangle”. Freightliner has not published lease rates. However, comparable logistics developments in the UK typically start around GB£50,000 per acre annually. The company is inviting direct enquiries from interested operators seeking to establish or expand their rail freight footprint.