What London Container Terminal does

London Container Terminal (LCT) is a privately held container terminal operator and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Forth Ports Group, located within the 1,252-acre Port of Tilbury estate on the north bank of the River Thames, 22 nautical miles east of central London. It operates as the UK's principal hub for intra-European container trade, handling 17 container vessel calls per week and serving global and regional shipping lines including CMA CGM, Maersk, Samskip, Grimaldi, Ellerman City Liners, Boluda, Akkon Lines, and Viasea across routes spanning the Iberian Peninsula, West Africa, Mediterranean, and Baltic Sea. LCT handles vessels up to 10,000 TEU across 1.72 km of quay with 13.7m water depth alongside, supported by 36 straddle carriers, Paceco and Liebherr ship-to-shore cranes, Bromma spreaders, and SOLAS-compliant VGM weighing equipment.

The core product is container terminal operations — vessel berthing, loading/unloading, container handling, storage, and demurrage — supplemented by rail freight services, reefer care with over 1,400 temperature-controlled points, a Border Control Post coordinating Port Health and UK Border Agency inspections, hazardous and out-of-gauge cargo handling, off-quay container storage, Ro-Ro operations at Tilbury2 (a £250 million partnership with P&O Ferries opened in 2020), and connectivity to over 5 million sq ft of warehousing including the automated Enterprise Distribution Centre. Revenue is generated through transaction-based terminal handling charges, usage-based storage and demurrage fees, vehicle booking system charges, and rail intermodal services, with enterprise B2B sales to shipping lines, hauliers, retailers, food importers, and rail freight operators. Digital products include the Vehicle Booking System (VBS) — a web platform and mobile app, the first of its kind in the UK — plus real-time container tracking and live shipping schedule tools.

Name

London Container Terminal

Legal name

London Container Terminal (Tilbury) Limited

Website

https://londoncontainerterminal.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

London Container Terminal operates the UK's principal hub for intra-European container trade at Port of Tilbury, serving global and regional shipping lines with vessel handling, 1,400+ reefer points, rail intermodal services, and the Tilbury2 Ro-Ro facility under Forth Ports Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Port Logistics Services

NAICS

Marine Cargo Handling (48832), Marine Cargo Handling (488320), Port and Harbor Operations (48831), Port and Harbor Operations (488310)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)

akta.pro primary industry

Container Terminal Operating Services & Management (Terminal Operator / Concessionaire) (TLAHAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Feeder & Short-Sea Container Terminals (TLAHAAAC), Deep-Sea Container Terminals (Mainline / Transshipment Hubs) (TLAHAAAA), Container Yards & Inland Depot Storage (Empty Container Depots/ICDs) (TLALAAAI)

Keywords

• Container terminal operations
• Port logistics services
• Reefer cargo handling
• Ro-ro terminal services
• Rail freight handling

Headquarters

HQ city

West Tilbury

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Container Handling Services: Terminal handling charges for vessel operations including loading/unloading, container moves, and berth usage. Services include deep-sea and short-sea vessel handling, Ro-Ro operations, and specialized cargo handling for hazardous, out-of-gauge, and temperature-controlled goods.
2. Container Storage & Demurrage: Storage charges for containers on terminal and off-quay facilities, with dedicated off-quay storage facility for longer dwell times within the port estate
3. Landside Access & Vehicle Booking: Vehicle booking system charges for haulier access to terminal, including appointment scheduling and gate processing fees
4. Rail Terminal Services: Integrated railhead operations supporting intermodal freight transfer between vessels, storage yard, and rail services with connections to Midlands, Wales, Scotland, and continental Europe

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

London Container Terminal operates a deep-water container terminal within the Port of Tilbury on the River Thames, providing vessel berthing, container loading and unloading, container storage and demurrage, reefer care, hazardous and out-of-gauge cargo handling, border control post inspections, rail freight transfer (including 775m trains), and Ro-Ro operations for global and regional shipping lines. The terminal is complemented by a web-based Vehicle Booking System (VBS) and mobile app that enable hauliers to schedule container drop-offs and collections, plus a real-time container tracking system and live vessel schedule.

Product overview

London Container Terminal (LCT) operates as a unified container terminal product within the Port of Tilbury, combining core terminal operations with integrated digital services. The primary digital product is the Vehicle Booking System (VBS), a web-based platform for scheduling container drop-offs and collections, complemented by container status tracking and shipping schedule tools. Physical services include container handling operations, rail freight connectivity, reefer care with 1,400+ reefer points, border control post facilities, out-of-gauge and hazardous cargo handling, off-quay storage, warehousing, and Ro-Ro ferry services. The terminal also connects to over 5 million sq ft of warehousing including the automated Enterprise Distribution Centre.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Vehicle Booking System (VBS): A web-based platform and mobile app enabling hauliers to schedule advance appointments for container drop-offs and collections with real-time status updates.

Products and services

• Vehicle Booking System (VBS)

Quantifiable outcome

• Handle 17 container vessel calls per week
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• P&O FerriescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Partnership with P&O Ferries for the £250 million Tilbury2 ro-ro ferry terminal opened in 2020. The facility handles import and export of containers and trailers to Northern Europe, with P&O operating services from Zeebrugge. The terminal is pivotal in shifting cargo flows from high-carbon accompanied trailers to more environmentally friendly unaccompanied transport modes.
• Culina GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCulina Group operates the UK's largest temperature-controlled quayside warehouse adjacent to LCT, providing fast and cost-effective handling of chilled goods including fruit juices and dairy products. This partnership supports LCT's cold chain leadership for perishable cargo.
• Maritime TransportcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaritime Transport operates a 55,000 sq ft rail-connected facility adjacent to LCT offering cross-docking and storage solutions. Partnership provides seamless intermodal transfer between vessels, storage yard, and rail services.
• Thames Freeport ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPort of Tilbury is a founding member of Thames Freeport, one of the UK's newest special economic zones. This consortium brings together port operators, logistics companies, and local authorities to accelerate low-carbon logistics solutions and economic growth in the Thames Gateway region.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Port of Rotterdam Authority: Europe's largest port operating deep-sea, short-sea, and rail-connected container terminals serving the same Northern European trade lanes that connect to Tilbury. Rotterdam is the primary transhipment hub serving LCT's feeder network.
• Associated British Ports (ABP): The UK's largest ports group operating 21 ports including container facilities, rail terminals, and short-sea ro-ro operations such as Hull, Ipswich, and King's Lynn. Broad-based incumbent competing with LCT across multiple freight segments and geographies.
• APM Terminals: Maersk's global container terminal arm operating multiple European facilities. As a deep-pocketed incumbent that integrates terminal operations with ocean carrier services, APM Terminals is a comparable container terminal operator competing for global carrier volumes.
• Port of Antwerp-Bruges: Major European container port complex serving North Sea, Continental, and deep-sea trades. Multiple LCT carrier customers (CMA CGM, Samskip, Viasea) operate Antwerp services that connect with LCT via feeder/short-sea network.
• PSA International: One of the world's largest container terminal operators with European presence including PSA Zeebrugge and PSA Genoa. Competes with LCT for shipping line customers through global terminal networks and integrated logistics services.

Direct peers

• Peel Ports Group: UK port group operating container terminals at Liverpool, Clydeport, and London Medway. Operates comparable deep-sea and short-sea container facilities and offers port-centric logistics, competing with LCT for intra-UK and European trade volumes.
• Hutchison Ports Felixstowe: The UK's largest container port, operated by Hutchison Ports, on the east coast of England. Competes with LCT for mainline container traffic and Asia-Europe deep-sea services serving the UK and transhipment to European destinations.
• DP World Southampton: Major UK deep-water container terminal serving the South of England and London catchment. Competes with LCT for UK import container volumes serving Southern consumers and offers comparable rail and intermodal connectivity.
• DP World London Gateway: DP World's deep-water container terminal on the Thames Estuary, ~25 miles east of central London. Directly competes with LCT for UK import/export container volumes and London/South East consumer-market cargo, with deeper berths enabling larger vessels.

Regional players

• HHLA Hamburger Hafen und Logistik: German container terminal operator at Hamburg and intermodal rail operator Metrans. Comparable European container and intermodal operator competing in Baltic/North Sea feeder trades that connect via Tilbury.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about London Container Terminal