The programme also highlights the growing importance of rail in enabling the transition. By handling long-distance trunk haul movements, rail reduces the operational demands placed on electric trucks. This allows eHGVs to focus on shorter, more predictable journeys where range and charging constraints are less acute. Maritime’s approach reflects a broader industry trend, where intermodal logistics is emerging as a practical pathway towards lower emissions.

Rail increases fivefold

With the recent opening of the Strategic Rail Freight Interchange at SEGRO Logistics Park Northampton, Maritime has strengthened the backbone of its intermodal network. The Northampton Gateway facility provides direct access to the West Coast Main Line, enabling efficient north–south rail movements while anchoring shorter road legs for final delivery. It is a model that aligns closely with the operational needs of battery-electric trucks.

With Maritime’s Northampton Gateway now live, the company’s rail freight network is even more critical to the rollout of eHGVs by shortening the road leg to a manageable electric range. “Rail is crucial for increasing the viability of eHGVs,” explained Tom Williams, deputy CEO at Maritime Transport. “Since the launch of Maritime Intermodal in 2019, we have moved from railing six per cent of our volume to circa thirty per cent in 2026.”

Rail offers a range of solutions

Range anxiety, which remains an issue for private electric vehicle owners, is evident for commercial operators too. However, the regime is more predictable in the eHGV sector, where access to charging infrastructure can be planned in advance. Even so, questions remain around how far heavy electric trucks can travel under load across varied duty cycles.

“Two of the big criticisms of eHGVs are payload and range,” said Williams. “Focusing on range, technology will help improve this area as battery chemistry develops. Charging networks are also improving, which will support longer journeys. However, these changes will take time and investment before they fully address operational requirements across the sector.”

Intermodal model reduces cost

“If we focus on these alone, there is still a lot of time and money required to overcome the barrier,” Williams added. “By using rail, which is here and in use now, we are effectively removing range as a barrier for eHGVs. Take our Manchester operation [at Trafford Park]. A vehicle, on average, will do less than 1,000 miles per week, which is well-suited to electric operation.”

“What is more,” added Williams, “if the final mile is short enough, you can reduce the number of batteries required. That in turn gives you the ability to carry more payload.” This interplay between rail and road highlights a key advantage of intermodal logistics. By shifting energy-intensive trunk haul to rail, operators can deploy lighter, more efficient electric trucks for distribution, improving both economics and emissions performance.

Infrastructure investment supports wider adoption

Maritime’s rollout includes 56 eHGVs across 13 depots and rail-connected terminals during 2026, supported by a growing high-powered charging network. Once complete, the company expects to have more than 22MW of installed capacity, capable of charging over 100 vehicles simultaneously. Importantly, this infrastructure will also be accessible to third-party operators, potentially accelerating wider industry uptake.

The initiative is backed by the government’s Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator programme, delivered with support from Innovate UK. Maritime is participating across multiple projects, testing electric, hydrogen, and diesel vehicles on live routes. However, the company’s operational model remains consistent. Rail handles the long-distance movement, while electric trucks complete the final mile, offering a pragmatic route to decarbonisation using existing assets.

From ScotRail to South Eastern, early morning commuters arrived at stations to the dismay of an entire departure board turned red – just like the signals down the line. In a system which (rightly) defaults to safety first, the first thing that happens in a communications failure is a revert to red. That’s what happened this morning on lines from Scotland to the south of England.

Short-notice cancellations

“Services across the National Rail network may be subject to delays this morning,” said an early morning statement from an undoubtedly bleary-eyed spokesperson for the network, who said commuters would feel the worst effects. “Trains on some routes across the network are having to start their journeys and may also be subject to short-notice cancellations.”

Already, conspiracy theorists have been making obvious, and not so obvious, connections. Ironically, connections are the thing the railways are not making right now. However, with the official cyber-security level in the UK currently at ‘panic-stricken’, thoughts of foreign actors are never far from the headlines. It was only yesterday, say some, that a major Russian-backed multi-national, multi-billion pound money laundering network – based in London – was shattered by law enforcement authorities. Could this be revenge? Not likely, say the more level-headed observers.

Stand by for Storm Darragh

For anyone who still thinks that ‘signals’ are the way that signallers communicate with drivers, it’s time to think again. The real communication tool out there on the network is GSMR. The “Global Systems for Mobile communications – Railways” puts the signaller in the cab with the driver. Except this morning – it didn’t. That, to the dismay of about a million and a half commuters (so far) has been the cybernetic fly in the digital ointment. “There is a fault with the onboard “GSMR” radio system that allows communication between train drivers and signal operators,” explained National Rail Enquiries.”This issue is currently being investigated and will be updated as soon as possible.”

Finding the departure boards universally showing ‘delayed’ is the sort of daytime nightmare that only a terrible winter storm usually evokes. Well, the bad news is … that’s on the way too. Storm Darragh is about to hit the UK later this afternoon, with winds up to 90mph (144kph). By the time that biblical rain shower hits mainland Britain, the railway will still be recovering from the plague of blown away wireless communications.

Digital down, storm coming, now “When Trees Attack”

One cynical comedian (who beat this correspondent to the drop) suggested that the comms collapse was undoubtedly down to Network Rail running out of fax paper. A somewhat unkind but excusable manifestation of gallows humour, in the face of network-wide delays and cancellations until at least midday. We’re fully expecting that deadline to pass without resolution.

The last thing needed on a day like this is a tree to fall and block a main line. So, it will come as no surprise to find that a tree has fallen and blocked the main line between Leeds and Sheffield – at Wakefield. That’s disrupting (British railways code for “completely shattering”) services on that section of the Midland Main Line, which is busy with mixed traffic – from CrossCountry passenger services to vital freight, including intermodal traffic to Wakefield, Leeds and Sheffield. It never rains but it pours – and today, it’s about to pour.