Puerta de entrada a East Midlands

El East Midlands Gateway es una terminal de carga ferroviaria y centro de carga intermodal de 280 hectáreas (700 acres) situado al oeste del pueblo de Kegworth , en la región de East Midlands, Inglaterra . Es operado por SEGRO y se conoce oficialmente como SEGRO Logistics Park East Midlands Gateway (SLPEMG). Está ubicado dentro del triángulo formado por las ciudades de Derby ( 15 km o 9,3 millas ), Nottingham ( 17 km o 11 millas ) y Leicester ( 24 km o 15 millas ). Tiene acceso ferroviario desde la línea Castle Donington , acceso por carretera desde la salida 24 de la autopista M1 y se encuentra inmediatamente al norte del aeropuerto de East Midlands . De esta manera, unifica el transporte aéreo, por carretera y ferroviario en una ubicación central. ^{[ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ]}       

El puerto comprende una terminal de carga ferroviaria construida específicamente para este fin, vías de acceso y varios almacenes y centros de distribución , lo que convierte a este centro de distribución en uno de los primeros puertos interiores del Reino Unido . La terminal ferroviaria dentro del puerto tiene capacidad para gestionar hasta 16 trenes/día de hasta 775 metros (2543 pies) de longitud y dispone de espacio para almacenar más de 5000 TEU de contenedores marítimos . Está conectado a la red ferroviaria mediante una línea ramal construida especialmente de 3,5 kilómetros (2,2 millas ) , con trenes que conectan con otros intercambiadores de carga ferroviaria, el Túnel del Canal de la Mancha y puertos como Southampton , Felixstowe y London Gateway . ^{[ 3 ] [ 5 ]}  

A partir de 2021, diez de las once parcelas de almacén en el sitio fueron alquiladas, con inquilinos que incluyen Amazon , Arvato , DHL , Games Workshop , Kuehne + Nagel , Shop Direct y XPO, Inc. ^{[ 3 ] [ 6 ] [ 7 ]}

From a local government perspective, the terminal spreads across the civil parishes of Kegworth, Lockington-Hemington and Long Whatton and Diseworth, all of which are in the district of North West Leicestershire and the county of Leicestershire.^[4]

In 2011, the UK government announced a policy to encourage the development of strategic rail freight interchanges in order to support longer-term development of efficient rail freight distribution logistics. Such SRFIs would be key components in national and international networks, facilitating links between UK regions and the European Union. Plans for the development of a strategic rail freight interchange at East Midlands Gateway were first submitted in 2014, and planning hearings commenced the following year.^[8][9]

There were local objections to the proposal leading to the formation of the "J24 Action Group".^[10] The main reason for the objections was that the site was green countryside and that other brownfield sites were available. Indeed, there was support for what was seen as the positive environmental impact of moving freight from road to rail if it adopted such a site. The objections included a petition to the then Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Rt Hon Eric Pickles MP, which attained 1,331 signatures.^[11]

Permission to proceed with the proposal was granted on 2 February 2016, with the introduction of the UK Statutory Instrument, The East Midlands Gateway Rail Freight Interchange and Highway Order 2016.^[12] Construction was largely completed in 2019, and the first freight train served the interchange on 7 January 2020.^[13]

• Strategic rail freight interchange