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Friday 9 Aug 2024

A twist of freight: How Network Rail’s Western route is expanding capacity for freight services

Region & Route:

Wales & Western: Western

| Wales & Western

Over the next five years, Network Rail has an ambitious plan to promote the growth of rail freight services, taking vehicles off the road and providing a sustainable, green option for transporting heavy goods.

At a site in Thorney Mill, West Drayton, Network Rail has been supporting the Ashville Group to open a new freight yard adjacent to the London-based company’s existing aggregate base. The project will revive an old rail siding, which is no longer in use, to allow the Ashville Group to place more loads onto freight trains. The new track layout will enable capacity for 26 freight wagons. At present, the yard only has capacity to accept 24.

Currently, without the use of the sidings, hauls from the Ashville Group site must use a section of branch line to manoeuvre to and from the loading area, so the new capacity being built will allow increased maintenance access to the line, improving infrastructure reliability for freight operators. The new track layout of the sidings will also enable freight trains to complete a ‘run round’ on site, reducing journey times and carbon emissions. At present, trains have to travel further down the branch line to complete this type of manoeuvre.

The owner of the Ashville Group, Daniel Ashville Louisy, has plans to use solar power at the yard, further boosting the green credentials of the operation.

As part of the restoration of the freight sidings at Thorney Mill, Network Rail carried out essential repairs to the branch line that services the Ashville Group yard earlier this year.

These projects form an integral part of Network Rail’s plan to boost freight capacity on Western route, which runs from Paddington to Penzance.

Jess Lippett, senior regional freight manager for Network Rail’s Wales and Western region, said: “Rail freight is a vital part of our infrastructure, providing a fast, green, safe and efficient way of transporting goods.  

“The project at Thorney Mill is a great example of partnership working, allowing us to help expand the site for the Ashville Group, which will in turn enable freight operators to carry greater loads. The new sidings will open up the potential for different types of material to be transported all across the UK, while increasing the number of trains that can use the site each day.

“In the Wales and Western region, we have plans to grow freight capacity by 7%, taking heavy goods off the roads and reducing the carbon footprint of each journey. Just one freight train can remove up to 76 lorries from the roads, which every tonne of material carried by rail reducing carbon emissions by 75% when compared with road transport.”

Daniel Ashville Louisy, owner of Ashville Aggregates, said: “Network Rail have been very supportive of our endeavours in rail. We see rail playing a huge part in the future of construction and many other sections. Rail is the main source of supply to our business and has helped us become the masters of our own destiny”.

To learn more about Network Rail’s plans to boost freight growth, visit: https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-and-commercial/rail-freight/