IN Brief:
- Evri has invested £32.2 million in network infrastructure and technology, raising stated daily capacity by approximately 500,000 parcels year on year.
- DPD's new 63,000 sq ft Darlington distribution centre can process up to 50,000 parcels daily.
- Both companies are expanding sorting and distribution infrastructure as they prepare for seasonal volumes and longer-term network growth.
Evri Group and DPD UK have expanded their distribution infrastructure ahead of the Christmas delivery peak, adding automated sorting capacity and regional facilities to their respective networks. Evri has invested £32.2 million in infrastructure, automation, and technology during its current financial year, while DPD has opened a purpose-built distribution centre near Darlington capable of processing up to 50,000 parcels daily.
Evri’s investment forms part of a wider £100 million programme planned for the financial year. The company reports that its network can now handle 4.9 million parcels a day, approximately 500,000 more than a year earlier. The additional capacity includes improvements to existing sorting infrastructure and technology used to manage growing volumes across the business.
At its Barnsley superhub, Evri has expanded sorting operations with a third-tier arrangement that increases handling capability within the existing facility. The programme also covers other improvements to network infrastructure and systems, including a second Barnsley site supporting fulfilment and UK Mail operations.
Sorting hubs receive parcels from different collection points and direct them towards regional depots according to their destination. Automated equipment identifies each consignment and moves it along the appropriate route through the facility, allowing large volumes to be processed during defined operating periods before trailers depart for the next stage of distribution.
Increasing the capacity of a central hub also increases the quantity of freight that must be transferred into downstream operations. Regional depots, transport vehicles, loading areas, and delivery teams all need to accommodate the resulting flow, particularly when several major inbound movements reach a sorting centre within a short period.
Evri’s network includes seven national sorting hubs, around 80 depots, and more than 500 delivery units. These facilities form a connected distribution structure, with national sorting operations feeding regional locations that organise the movement of parcels towards their final delivery areas.
The company’s recent investment in Peterborough provides additional regional capacity. A 95,950 sq ft depot at Peterborough South began operating in August and was officially opened on 19 October following a £1.2 million investment. The site currently processes approximately 8,000 parcels daily and can accommodate up to 16,000 during peak operations.
The Peterborough facility occupies a location with road connections to Fletton Parkway and the A1(M). Its additional handling space supports vehicle movements between the wider network and local delivery operations, while the scale of the building provides room to manage higher parcel volumes as demand changes.
DPD has made a separate investment in a new distribution centre at Forrest Park, adjacent to Junction 59 of the A1(M) near Darlington. The 63,000 sq ft facility incorporates automated sortation equipment and has been designed to handle up to 50,000 parcels per day as operations develop.
The new building is intended to support more than 100 delivery driver routes and has the potential to create up to 250 additional jobs. These figures describe planned operating capacity and employment potential, rather than an established number of routes or positions already in use.
The Darlington opening forms part of DPD’s programme to develop seven purpose-built distribution centres over two years, first outlined in March 2025. Similar facilities opened earlier in 2026 at Crawley and Sittingbourne, while a fourth location at Tritax Park Queens’ in Cambridge was identified during the summer.
Automated sortation is central to DPD’s new operation. Parcels arriving from national or regional transport movements must be identified and assigned to the appropriate delivery route, with conveying and sorting equipment directing consignments towards outbound handling positions. The physical process must be coordinated with the information identifying each parcel’s destination and assigned service.
The 50,000-parcel daily capacity is a design figure. Actual throughput will depend on incoming volumes, equipment availability, staffing, trailer arrivals, and the timing of delivery vehicle departures. The centre’s ability to accommodate additional routes provides capacity for further growth without requiring every planned movement to operate at full volume immediately.
Darlington’s position beside the A1(M) supports connections with wider road freight routes serving the North East. Vehicles moving consignments between national hubs and regional distribution centres depend on predictable arrival and departure schedules, particularly where parcels must be sorted and loaded for next-day delivery services.
The building has been developed to BREEAM Excellent standards. The rating concerns the environmental performance of the building under the relevant assessment framework, while its operational contribution comes from the additional sorting capacity and distribution activity accommodated within the facility.
DPD has more than 80 distribution centres in its UK network. Its investment programme is intended to provide modern facilities with automated equipment and capacity for future volume growth, while maintaining the coordination between national sorting, trunk transport, regional depots, and delivery routes.
Evri’s wider programme also includes seasonal recruitment. The company previously outlined plans to recruit more than 10,000 people across its operations, including additional community couriers and owner-drivers. The workforce expansion supports the physical infrastructure investment by providing transport and delivery resources for the parcels moving through sorting facilities.
Evri reported that parcel volumes increased by almost 40% during the previous Christmas peak period, illustrating the degree of seasonal variation its network must accommodate. The corresponding 2026 peak will be managed using the expanded infrastructure, additional personnel, and operating arrangements now being introduced.
Both investment programmes require capacity to be aligned across successive handling stages. Faster sorting equipment can increase the flow of freight through a hub, while depot space, loading resources, vehicle availability, and delivery schedules determine how much of that output can move onwards without additional delay.
The latest additions give Evri and DPD more capacity before the seasonal rise in demand. Evri’s 4.9 million-parcel daily network capability and DPD’s new Darlington sorting centre establish measurable additions to their respective operations, with actual peak volumes determining how extensively the capacity is used during November and December.
