Hanson keep West Coast line on track

RAILTRACK’s national logistics unit in York has improved the supply chain to its West Coast route-modernization sites by creating a new distribution centre in Bedfordshire. The unit has taken a five-year lease on land owned by Hanson at their Stewartby brickworks.

"The centre has a storage capacity of 30,000 tonnes of ballast, which is supplied by Midland Quarry Products in Leicestershire. The ballast is transported in quantities that normally exceed 1,000 tonnes per train and is then unloaded for onward distribution in smaller wagons. This reduces daytime passenger congestion and allows more transportation to take place at night."

"Midland Quarry Product’s rail operations manager, Andy Read, commented: ‘The new distribution centre was constructed by Railtrack in conjunction with ourselves, Hanson and Shanks Waste Solution. The latter own some of the land used for access to the centre and will accept used aggregate when it is returned to the site."

"‘Access on to the Bedford to Bletchley line, and subsequently the West Coast mainline, make this a strategically important site.’"