The UK aggregates and construction materials supplier says that this is the first-time rail freight has been run into the depot for around 10 years, and will see hundreds of lorry journeys taken off the roads each year. The first service run took place on October 15.
Working in partnership with freight operator GB Railfreight, Hanson plans to run three trains a week from its quarry in Shap, Cumbria down to the Ashton site. It is expected that over 200,000 tonnes of material will be taken by rail each year along the new route.
Simon Day, Hanson UK regional general manager for the north, said: “The investment in the site is an important part of our rail strategy. We are working to try to increase the tonnage of aggregates we transport this way across the UK. These three trains a week will take around 1,500 truck journeys off the road each year and mean that we only need to put the material onto road transport for the last 5-10 miles rather than the 60–80 miles we do now. This will reduce the distances travelled on the road by our truck fleet by around 500,000 miles per year.”
GB Railfreight MD John Smith said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Hanson on this new service, which will be using one of GB Railfreight’s recently purchased class 60 locomotives.
“This partnership is further demonstration of the role freight can play in taking trucks off the road and reducing emissions.”
The material will be used by the Hanson's asphalt and concrete plants in addition to supplying the construction market in the north west of England
As well as refurbishing the rail track serving the site, money is being spent on upgrading the depot including the installation of a new weighbridge and office facilities.
