TruckandTrackSpring2019.indd

65 / 88

Spring 2019 Truck and Track 65
RAILFREIGHT
A new intermodal rail freight service connecting the Port of
Felixstowewith the Birch Coppice terminal in theMidlands has
been launched by GB Railfreight.
The first locomotive on the service left Birch Coppice at 14:14 on
23 January 2019 and arrived at Felixstowe at 20:14, having passed
through Hams Hall, Leicester, Peterborough and Ipswich along the
way. Made up of 33 platforms, the service transports a mixture of
intermodal containers, and will initially run 5 days a week.
Commenting on the new service, Clemence Cheng, Chief Executive
Officer at the Port of Felixstowe and ExecutiveDirector of Hutchison
Ports, said:
“We are delighted to welcome this latest
service offering from GB Railfreight. The
Port of Felixstowe already offers a wide
array of rail services through our three
intermodal terminals and this latest service
supports the range of sustainable transport
options available to port users.”
John Smith, Managing Director of GB
Railfreight added:
“We’re thrilled to be putting on this new
service, which will be running on a daily
basis. It is demonstrative of the wider sea
change we are seeing in the rail freight
industry, as theUKmoves fromits industrial
roots to become a service and consumer-
led economy. This is reflected in the fact
that intermodal traffic now accounts for
approximately 36% of rail freight industry wide.
“The route is also practical, with this newMidlands servicemeaning
Birch Coppice can accommodate business that was going to Hams
Hall, allowing our clientWincanton additional space for its logistics
operation that is centred around the facility.”
Regular rail services are also run from Felixstowe to Glasgow,
Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Teesport, Birmingham, Doncaster,
Selby, Hams Hall, Wakefield, Ditton (Widnes), Rotherham and
Cardiff.
New rail service launched from
Port of Felixstowe by GB Railfreight
Eurotunnel introduces
automatic face recognition
technology designed &
developed by IN Groupe
Eurotunnel and IN Groupe (formerly Imprimerie Nationale)
have signed, in the presence of Xavier Bertrand, President of the
Hauts-de-France region, a partnership to equip Eurotunnel’s
terminals with SAS PARAFE (E-Gate) technology, as used at
airports, but this time implemented at the vital road and rail
border between the UK and France.
Eurotunnel, which transports more than eleven million passengers
eachyear betweenCoquelles andFolkestone, is actively progressing
its preparations for Brexit.
It is the result of collective work carried out over several months
between Eurotunnel and IN Groupe, under the authority of the
Minister of the Interior in France. This hi-tech investment, financed
by Eurotunnel, will make it easier for passengers holding biometric
passports to cross the border.
The use of this technology contributes to the modernisation of
operational border management and the evolution towards
intelligent management. It also makes possible the dual objective
of facilitating and speeding up border crossings which, in the
context of increasing passenger flow and an increase in the quality
of border checks, provides greater certainty on travellers’ identities
and the rights associated with these.
For the first phase of this project, the passengers on the 51,000
coaches which travel every year, mostly tourists, will be the first
to use the facial recognition PARAFE gates from the beginning of
April. In addition, two sets of 9 PARAFE gates (5 for departures, 4 for
arrivals) with new generation facial recognition, will be installed in
France and the UK and be available for the relevant authorities to
speed up and secure the border crossing.
Later phases will focus on equipment for Eurotunnel’s Flexiplus
services and then a broader roll out.
Backed by a high-tech solution that has already proved its worth in
French and international airports, IN Groupe, a global specialist in
corporate identity, has partnered with Gunnebo, the world leader
in security solution and services, to deploy its latest generation
E-Gates to equip the land border. By reinforcing security while
improving the flow of travellers at borders, both on board as well
as on arrival, they contribute to improving passenger satisfaction.
Xavier Bertrand, President of the Hauts-de-France region, said:
“In the context of Brexit, Eurotunnel and IN Groupe have taken
the lead regarding the important issues of safety and fluidity.
This technology does not replace people but allows us to face
new challenges and to save time. The Hauts-de-France region is
ready, thanks to Imprimerie Nationale technology which will help
passengers. It is tried and tested technology: it provides safety and
comfort.”
“With our innovative border control solutions, we provide a
powerful and immediately operational response to the security
challenges of each state. Today, we are proud to equip the first non-
airport border crossing point in Europe.” said Didier Trutt, Chairman
and Chief Executive Officer of IN Groupe.
Jacques Gounon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Getlink,
said: “By becoming the first terminal on the Short Strait to be
equipped with facial biometric recognition technology, Eurotunnel
again demonstrates itsmission to enable easier and faster travel for
its customers.”
LOADS MORE
CUSTOMER SERVICE
01543 420 121