Emissions-reducing rail project wins award

Since January 2016, nearly 100,000t of product have been moved from the Port of Ipswich to London Concrete in Watford by rail, representing 20.6% of Brett Aggregates’ throughput at the Port of Ipswich and earning ABP Ipswich and Brett Aggregates this year’s Rail Freight Group (RFG) Community and Environmental Responsibility Award.

Andrew Harston, ABP’s short sea ports director, said: “By working closely with our valued customer, Brett Aggregates, we have succeeded in delivering a commercial and logistics solution by rail, which brings many economic and environmental benefits to the local community.”

Reduces labour

Each 1100t trainload reduces congestion by removing 38 HGV journeys from the UK road system and eliminates 8040 road miles in HGV terms.

Only one train crew is needed instead of the up to 38 HGV drivers required to transport the equivalent volume, so the project is also reducing labour costs.

If the product had been transported the 106 miles to Watford by road using HGV transport each 29t load would have incurred 212 road miles.

This means that in the 16-month reference period, 731,400 or nearly three quarters of a million road miles would have been generated in transport terms.

Mr Harston stressed: “Not only have we helped our customer win new business, we have also created a supply chain, which is environmentally sustainable, reduces congestion in Ipswich and has a minimal impact on neighbouring properties.”