Freightliner, which has a major Southampton base, has won a three-year multi-million-pound contract as preferred supplier for UK container rail services for global shipping line P&O Nedlloyd.

The company will be providing space, ranging from single wagon to whole train loads, on 36 of the 74 daily services that link the ports of Southampton, Tilbury and Thamesport and Felixstowe to inland rail terminals at Birmingham, Glasgow (Coatbridge), Leeds, London, Liverpool and Manchester.

P&O Nedlloyd held its first open competitive tender process between UK rail freight companies to award the contract that saves more than 150,000 long-haul lorry journeys a year.

Jim Baxter, general manager of customer operations for P&O Nedlloyd, said: "This agreement recognises Freightliner's ability to deliver a performance regime that will allow us to by-pass increasing UK road congestion and assist in providing a consistently high standard of service quality to our customers.''

P&O Nedlloyd and Freightliner have a long-standing relationship and in September last year celebrated the 30th anniversary of their partnership for the transport of maritime containers by naming a Class 66 freight locomotive, P&O Nedlloyd Atlas.

Peter Maybury, Freightliner's deputy managing director, said: "The awarding of this contract recognises Freightliner's ability to work together with P&O Nedlloyd to give a cost-effective and efficient service that is reliable and repeatable, and it reinforces our position as the UK's leading rail-based maritime container logistics operator.''

P&O Nedlloyd, one of the port of Southampton's main customers, operates 157 vessels, totalling 407,000 container units on 84 routes with 235 direct call ports.