Automotive by Rail: Cars, Unimogs and Coordination

Following its closure as a naval dockyard, with its strategic location close to the London conurbation, Sheerness quickly developed as a commercial port in the latter half of the 20th century and became a major gateway for Forest Products entering the UK, including the pulp traffic handled by Victa. But that’s only part of the story. In fact, Sheerness quickly evolved into a strategic hub for automotive logistics—becoming one of the UK’s key entry points for imported vehicles.

This transformation marked a significant milestone for EWS, which was keen to develop rail-based automotive traffic. Sheerness offered the perfect proving ground. With its good rail lnks and port infrastructure ready for expansion, it wasn’t long before the docks were humming with activity—not just from ships, but from trains too.

📸 Doug & Chris Barrow

Victa played a pivotal role in making this operation a success. Tasked with managing the local logistics, Victa coordinated the complex dance of shunting wagons, aligning rail schedules with loading activities, and ensuring that the loaded wagons were inspected, secured and moved to the departure line to connect with main line services. It was a hands-on, detail-driven operation that required both precision and flexibility.

To meet the unique demands of the site, Victa introduced a Unimog road-rail vehicle—a versatile piece of kit that could operate both on the road and on the tracks. This innovation allowed for rapid repositioning of wagons and efficient movement between the docks and the nearby steelworks, where some vehicles were stored or processed before onward distribution.

This was rail freight at its most adaptable: responding to customer needs with smart, practical solutions. It showcased how collaboration, innovation, and a deep understanding of logistics could unlock new opportunities—not just for Sheerness, but for the wider rail freight sector.

Next time we'll take a look at how diverse the traffic became at Sheerness.

💬  Have you worked with automotive rail logistics? Share your experience or tag a colleague who has!