Please see the below media release and associated images.  

MEDIA RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Rail green freeport bid to create jobs and accelerate economic recovery

Glasgow, UK / 19 July 2022 - Mossend International Railfreight Park (MIRP) and North Lanarkshire Council have joined forces, alongside other private and public partners, to deliver their Clyde Green Freeport bid for the Glasgow region to become one of Scotland's two green freeports.

The ambitious proposal is forecast to create up to 30,000 new jobs, attract £2.5 billion of capital investment and transform nearly 600 hectares of vacant and derelict land in key locations across the Glasgow region. This would result in significant amounts of new jobs and benefits to local businesses in North Lanarkshire.

North Lanarkshire Council Leader Jordan Linden said: "Clyde Green Freeport would deliver a multi-billion pound investment for the Glasgow City Region economy, bringing significant high quality jobs to North Lanarkshire as well as opportunities for businesses here to grow their markets across the UK and beyond.

"I would ask businesses in North Lanarkshire to look at the opportunities for global trade that Clyde Green Freeport would bring to the area and to your own enterprise, large or small, and back our bid to help make it a reality."

MIRP is home to a major decarbonising rail freight hub and terminal and Clyde Green Freeport would see the regeneration of 283 hectares of land through £17 million of investment unlocked by tax benefits and, in the longer term, £300 million to develop the site and create the infrastructure needed.

Andrew Stirling, Director of Peter D Stirling and Mossend International Railfreight Park believes green freeport status would provide the Lanarkshire region with a much-needed boost.

"Over the 40 plus years we've been at Mossend, we've employed locals and worked with local partners and clients to build and expand our infrastructure and to provide freight logistics services between Scotland and England.

"In the success of our bid, over 500 jobs will be created at Mossend and business generated that will give our local economy the boost it needs, particularly coming out of the pandemic and moving forward in leaving the EU."

Clyde Green Freeport would also create an opportunity at Mossend for a manufacturing heavy vehicles hub, leading to 120 million pounds of investment, as well as for the manufacturing, and maintenance and operation of new innovative freight wagons, with an estimated 55 million pounds of investment. 

The outcome of the formal bid, which was submitted to the Scottish and UK governments in collaboration with partners at Glasgow Airport, Peel Ports - Clydeport and Glasgow City Region councils, is expected to be known later in the summer.

Businesses across North Lanarkshire and the wider Glasgow region are asked to back the bid and support the ambitious Clyde Green Freeport proposal. Visit www.clydegreenfreeport.co.uk and follow on social media to show your support: LinkedIn clyde-green-freeport; Twitter @ClydeGreenFP; Facebook and Instagram @clydegreenfreeport.

ENDS

Located in North Lanarkshire, Mossend International Railfreight Park (MIRP) is Scotland's largest international multi-modal rail freight park; a 24-acre Strategic Rail Freight Interchange (SRFI) that will include manufacturing and warehouse space, HGV parking, and an electrified rail freight terminal capable of handling up to sixteen 775m freight trains daily. Championing zero carbon logistics, MIRP is an industry leader in decarbonising freight and logistics, using alternative energies to support the vision for a competitive rail freight sector to play an increasing role in Scotland's economic growth. 
 
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