London Gateway Closes In On Felixstowe After 2025 Surge

London Gateway is rapidly closing in on the position of the UK’s largest container port, following a record-breaking year that has sharply reduced the gap with long-established leader Felixstowe.

The Essex terminal moved more than 3m teu in 2025, according to industry data, marking the first time it has passed this threshold. Volumes surged by over 50% compared with 2024, when throughput stood at around 1.9m teu. The jump was largely driven by the commissioning of a fourth berth and the arrival of additional deepsea services, including Asia–Europe loops operated under the Gemini Cooperation.

Felixstowe does not release official container statistics, but market estimates suggest it handled approximately 3.6m teu in 2024. While that figure may have grown in 2025, the port was impacted by Maersk redirecting its Asia–North Europe Gemini services to London Gateway, and MSC diverting one service of its own.

Further south, Southampton also recorded a strong performance, with container volumes exceeding 2m teu in 2025. Combined, DP World’s two UK container terminals - London Gateway and Southampton - accounted for more than 5m teu in a national market estimated at just over 9m teu for the year.

London Gateway’s growth trajectory is set to continue, supported by a £1bn expansion programme scheduled to complete by the end of the decade. The development will increase the number of berths from four to six, boosting capacity and reinforcing the port’s competitive position over the long term.

Despite the impressive gains, the pace of growth has exposed operational pressures. Higher volumes have led to significant congestion and extended vessel waiting times. This situation became critical during June and July when a series of IT and power disruptions, compounded by a rail incident, caused significant backlogs and delays across the terminal.

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