Royal Mail unveils its futuristic Midlands Parcel Hub
Royal Mail CEO Simon Thompson took Postal Affairs Minister Paul Scully MP on a tour of the site of the Company’s Midlands-based parcel hub to show how its futuristic features will help transform parcel delivery.
As well as meeting Royal Mail colleagues who are overseeing the development of the parcel hub, the Minister also planted a tree to mark his visit to the site.
The Minister saw the planned location for the upcoming Royal Mail Academy, a centre of learning excellence for Royal Mail managers to help them build high-performing teams, deliver a great service and maintain a laser focus on customer needs.
Scheduled for launch in 2023, the Company’s commitment to the Daventry-based hub, which will be fitted with state-of-the-art parcel automation machinery, represents a significant investment in its Midlands operations.
Once complete, the new hub will be the size of more than ten football pitches and have the capacity to process over 1 million mail items per day, making it the largest Royal Mail parcel hub in the UK.
Royal Mail has seen parcel volumes grow strongly driven by online shopping which has been further accelerated by the pandemic and associated restrictions.
Centrally located with fully automated parcel sorting
Situated at the Daventry International Rail Freight Interchange (DIRFT), the second Royal Mail parcel hub will have excellent transport links to major cities nearby as well as the warehousing and fulfilment centres of several online retailers. This will enable Royal Mail to enhance its support of the UK’s ecommerce and retail industry.
As well as featuring a state-of-the-art automated parcel sorting system, the hub will offer a Vehicle Operating Centre, a Fleet Workshop facility, brand-new staff facilities as well as a rail terminal, enabling an increase in the amount of mail transported efficiently and sustainably.
The second Royal Mail parcel hub is being built by leading industrial property company, Prologis UK. Beumer Group is responsible for the construction of the fully-automated parcel sorting system (APSS) that will be housed within.
Royal Mail is committed to reducing the impact of its operations on the environment. As part of the build, Royal Mail will deploy a number of sustainability initiatives ensuring the environment and local communities are placed at the heart of the development.
The design of the hub will maximise the amount of natural light entering the building, saving energy and improving employee well-being. The building will also feature energy efficient heating, solar panels, ventilation and LED lighting installations on motion and daylight sensors ensuring high sustainability standards.
With Royal Mail’s other parcel hub in Warrington coming into operation in 2022 both sites will create a parcel powerhouse capable of processing well over 1.5 million parcels per day with options to scale to over 2.5 million in the future.
Contribution to the local economy
Royal Mail currently employs around 20,000 people in the Midlands and already contributes more than £1.4 bn* to the region, reflecting Royal Mail’s commitment to investing in the regional economy. It also underlines the importance of the region to the UK’s economy, particularly to sectors like the ecommerce industry.
As a road and rail logistics business park, DIRFT is classed as a nationally-significant infrastructure project. From its location at the heart of the UK’s motorway and rail network, the site has excellent road links to the M1 and M6 motorways, as well as to the West Coast Main Line train service. A number of leading British ecommerce companies are based in this region alongside the logistical arm of several high-street retailers. Capitalising on the site’s rail connectivity, the new hub will also have its own dedicated rail platform, allowing parcels and other freight direct access to the West Coast Main Line, the country’s primary rail freight route.
Simon Thompson, Royal Mail CEO, said: “It was great to show the Postal Affairs Minister the progress on our state-of-the-art parcels hub in the Midlands. It’s a great example of how we are reinventing Royal Mail for the next generations. As well as processing a million parcels a day, this will be the location of our new Royal Mail Academy. We are investing for our customers, and our people.”
Postal Affairs Minister Paul Scully said: “It was great to see first-hand the exciting developments at Royal Mail's Midlands hub, which looks set to play a pivotal role in the company’s transformation plans.
“Through this hub, Royal Mail will be providing a welcome boost to the local economy – creating jobs, improving skills and investing in new technology.”
Paul Weston, Regional Head for Prologis UK said: “Royal Mail’s decision to locate its largest UK parcel hub at Prologis DIRFT is great news for the local economy and the ecommerce companies located on the park. Proximity to the new Royal Mail unit means companies can confidently extend order picking times and still achieve next day delivery for their customers.
“Like every new Prologis building, Royal Mail’s new parcel hub will continue to deliver long-lasting environmental benefits through our unique approach to the mitigation of carbon involved in the construction process.”
