London Gateway Set to Overtake Felixstowe as UKs Busiest Port

>The River Thames is poised to reclaim its status as a dominant force in British seaborne trade, as the London Gateway port has reported a remarkable growth of over 50 per cent in traffic last year. Owned by Dubai’s DP World, London Gateway handled more than three million containers in 2025, a significant increase from 1.9 million in the previous year.

This surge in capacity has been attributed to the opening of a fourth quarter-mile berth on the quayside, enabling the port to accommodate four of the world’s largest container ships simultaneously. With a fifth berth currently under construction and a sixth in the planning stages, London Gateway is close to surpassing Felixstowe, located 70 miles north, as the UK’s largest port and busiest deep-water container terminal.

Stephen Whittingham, head of DP World in Northern Europe, noted the port’s robust growth and its potential for further expansion. London Gateway’s success is largely driven by its partnerships with leading shipping lines, including the Gemini Alliance of Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd. The port has emerged as a vital hub for importing fresh produce and retail goods, with Tesco anticipated to become one of its principal tenants.

The recent increase in trans-shipment activity has further solidified London Gateway’s position. The largest vessels from China and the Far East are now docking at London Gateway before transferring containers for transport to northern European ports such as Hamburg. This shift in operations is believed to be contributing to London Gateway’s growing market share at the expense of Felixstowe.

While Felixstowe remains a significant player, it is widely acknowledged that its throughput has stagnated. Current estimates suggest it handled approximately 3.6 million containers in 2024, a figure that fails to recover from earlier declines. Owned by Hutchison Ports, Felixstowe has seen its traditional dominance wane alongside the resurgence of the Thames and London Gateway.

The London Gateway port was developed on a site formerly used for oil facilities and has been in the planning stages since the turn of the millennium. This ambitious project has gained momentum, particularly since its acquisition by the Dubai-based management group in 2006, heralding a new chapter for UK port operations.