Royal Mail super hub 'will stay' despite train plans

Royal Mail has said a "super hub" for parcels at a rail freight terminal will continue to operate even though the company is scrapping its trains.

Its statement came in response to a question about the future of the facility near Daventry, Northamptonshire, from the constituency's new Conservative MP, Stuart Andrew.

The super hub opened last year at Daventry International Railfreight Terminal (DIRFT) to handle up to 90,000 parcels per hour.

Mr Andrew was told there would be "no planned job losses" as a result of scrapping the trains and a "minimal impact" on local roads.

Royal Mail announced earlier this month that it would be scrapping its 15 British Rail class 325 trains as they were getting too expensive to maintain.

It is understood that only six of the trains are still operating, and one of them is bringing parcels into the "super hub".

Mr Andrew, who was elected earlier this month to replace fellow Conservative Chris Heaton-Harris as Daventry MP, asked the Royal Mail what the move would mean for the hub's workforce.

He also wanted to know whether lorry movements on nearby roads would increase when the trains were scrapped.

He said the Royal Mail had assured him that "there are no planned job losses for Royal Mail because of these changes, nor are there any site closures".

The firm indicated that staff would be redeployed if necessary.

On the issue of the effect on nearby roads, Mr Andrew said he was told that "there will a minimal impact from moving mail items from rail to road".

The firm estimated that the increase in traffic would be less than 1%.

Royal Mail told the BBC it would "continue to use rail services to transport mail across the country".

It added: "Our own freight trains are almost 30 years old and it is increasingly difficult to secure parts for maintenance and the routes we need to meet our service requirements.

"Over the coming months we will cease operating our own trains whilst continuing to use a mix of rail, road and air to transport mail to all corners of the UK."

"Our hub in Daventry will continue to fulfil its role as one of our major hubs for parcels."

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