Spade in the ground (From L-R): AV Dawson's head of engineering, Mark Wells; group managing director, Charlie Nettle, Tees Valley Combined Authorities director of inward investment and marketing, Craig Peacock; AV Dawson's head of marketing, Angela Turley and Chairman Gary Dawson.
AV Dawson has announced a £5 million investment in a new dry bulk rail terminal at the Port of Middlesbrough, reinforcing its long-term commitment to Teesside and creating additional capacity to support UK manufacturers, importers and exporters.
As the owner of the largest independent rail freight facility in the North East, AV Dawson has made its latest investment to enable innovation in its 120-acre Middlesbrough-based logistics hub and provide efficient, sustainable solutions for its customers.
The family-run business, which owns and operates the Port of Middlesbrough on the River Tees, is expanding its multimodal logistics hub by developing its fifth rail terminal to unlock valuable supply chain opportunities for North East freight businesses, enabling them to engage more easily with national and international clients.
Specifically for the dry bulk market, the new facility will expand the company’s rail freight capabilities, increasing capacity for customers and supporting the efficient movement of freight by road, rail and sea. With direct access to the East Coast Main Line and key road links via the A19 and A1, the site offers excellent connectivity. The rail network also provides a direct connection to the port’s quayside operations, enabling seamless rail-to-port transhipment supporting both UK and international trade.
The facility will increase unloading speeds by 40% to 500 tonnes per hour, significantly increasing capacity and improving overall operational efficiency. The terminal will also feature five rail lines, with additional rail sidings to feed rail wagons into the new unloading pit and conveyor system.
Charlie Nettle, Group Managing Director at AV Dawson said: "For more than 85 years, we've invested in Teesside, continually evolving to meet our customers' changing needs. This latest investment reflects our confidence in the region, our people and the future growth of rail logistics.
"Our fifth rail terminal strengthens our multimodal offering by expanding our presence in the dry bulk market and reinforces our commitment to delivering integrated logistics solutions across rail, land and sea.”
The project is being delivered alongside two other family-run businesses, Seymour Construction from Hartlepool and Atherton Material Handling. Construction includes a new unloading pit, rail line, bespoke conveyor system and dedicated storage warehouse. A new concrete loading pad will provide customers with both indoor and outdoor storage options.
Charlie continued: “Rail has a vital role to play in the future of UK freight, and with the Government setting ambitious targets to increase rail freight by 75% by 2050, investments like this are key to enable this.
“With rail producing around 74% less carbon than road freight, we work closely with customers to help them reduce both emissions and costs through greater use of rail, while combining it with our own road haulage fleet to deliver seamless, integrated logistics solutions”.
Due for completion in spring 2027, the terminal will be able to handle commodities including fertilisers, aggregates, salt, industrial minerals and energy products, further strengthening the Port of Middlesbrough's role in supporting Teesside's industrial economy and connecting regional businesses with UK and international markets.