14.01.16
Four major freight operators awarded five-year Tarmac deals
British building materials company Tarmac has awarded four major companies to deliver rail freight services around its new hubs and rail supply routes.
Colas Rail, GB Railfreight, Freightliner and DB Schenker have all bagged five-year contracts to deliver separate projects under Tarmac’s plans to expand its operations and expand its nationwide supply into construction markets.
The company, which moves around 9m tonnes per year by rail, has devised a strategy to increase its rail freight capability while also supporting its intention to reduce transport CO2 levels by 10% per tonne by 2020.
Under the new agreements, Colas Rail will work for the Dunbar cement works in East Lothian and will operate cement trains from Oxwellmains cement works, just east of Edinburgh on the East Coast Main Line.
GB Railfreight will work for aggregates from Swinden, Thrislington and Dry Rigg quarries. Network Rail started work to reinstate a rail link to the Dry Rigg quarry, near Horton in Ribblesdale with the Settle to Carlisle railway line, in July of last year. The £5m project is funded by Tarmac and had been in discussion for a number of years with local authorities and residents.
Freightliner was awarded the contract for the Tunstead site in Derbyshire, and DB Schenker received deals for Mountsorrel quarry in Leicestershire, as well as the company’s aggregates business in London and in the west – from depots in Moreton on Lugg, Whatley, Telford and Port Talbot.
Tarmac’s CEO, Cyrille Ragoucy, said: “An enhanced rail freight network supports our strategic growth plans, building on our current capacity to meet customers’ growing requirements for high quality construction materials for national and local infrastructure projects.
“This expansion will also support more efficient, sustainable transport and a lower carbon built environment. We look forward to working with our new partners to implement these contracts.”