Improving the efficiency freight connections
Long-term planning in Canterbury led to the opening of a new inland port at Selwyn in October 2016 by the Port of Lyttelton Port Company.
The Midland Port has:
- a rail siding capable of holding two 60 standard container trains with daily connecting services directly between Lyttelton and Rolleston
- full container yard for the storage and despatch of import and export containers
- empty container depot for the storage and repair of empty containers
- capacity for up to 72 reefer plugs
- Customs-Controlled Area and MPI Transitional Facility.
It has heralded a new era for container freight in the region. This has resulted in reduced empty container movements and fewer redundant truck journeys.
Lyttelton had a 50 per cent increase in container volumes from 2011-2016 and handled more than half the South Island's container traffic, including more than 70 per cent of imports.
The new facility has also helped boost Lyttleton’s financial performance which was impacted by a fall in dairy volumes.