06.04.20
Key railway workers keep Britain moving
As the country enters its third week of lockdown the rail industry has been working tirelessly to keep the country moving.
A condensed passenger timetable came into effect last month (March) to allow a reliable service to resume to get key workers, such as NHS staff, to work while allowing key freight trains to run to meet demand.
In the North East, over 140,000 tonnes of freight per week is transported across the region. Such as food for supermarkets and vital medical supplies, nearly 70,000 tonnes of biomass to keep power stations running and 6000 tonnes of Alumina, the raw material used to make aluminium, is taken from the North East to Scotland to be processed.
In Lincolnshire, over 100,000 tonnes of biomass comes from Immingham and is transported on the railway across Lincolnshire, then to Draw power station, around 100,000 tonnes of materials for the steel making industry comes in and out of Scunthorpe for British Steel.
Over 400,000 tonnes of freight per week is transported across Yorkshire. There are ten services per week which run overnight through the region on the East Coast Main Line, transporting letters and parcels for Royal mail between Newcastle and London.
Around 36,000 tonnes of fuel is transported in the East Midlands area. This keeps the economy provided with fuel for cars, so key workers can get to their jobs. It also means provisions can be transported on lorries. Food is transported across the East Midlands area for supermarkets in and around the region from major ports at Felixstowe and Southampton.
Senior Route Freight Manager for Network Rail, Kevin Newman, said: “The railway plays a crucial part in keeping Britain running, particularly in these challenging times. Our teams are working hard to keep lines open for key workers, enabling vital freight services to run to keep shelves stocked and deliver vital medical equipment and to keep power stations going.
“We’ve been able to meet the demand thanks to the dedication of our key workers at Network Rail who have continued to keep services moving, and with the help of passengers who have followed government advice to only travel when it is essential.
“We are continuing to work closely with the government and transport partners to keep the railways open and keep Britain moving.”
Image: Network Rail