Increase in aggregate rail freight capacity

DURING the past five years the UK aggregates rail market is reported to have grown by one billion freight tonne kilometres. To help meet this ongoing growth in demand, EWS Construction have placed an order for 34 new high-capacity aggregate hopper wagons – a move that will inject over 600,000 tonnes of additional haulage capacity per annum into the company’s aggregate wagon fleet.

Built by Greenbrier in Poland and fitted with track-friendly suspension systems supplied by Axiom Rail, the wagons will be delivered during spring 2008 and will enter into immediate service. EWS Construction already have 68 of the new wagons operating in the UK. These entered into service earlier this year and together with the latest order will take the total number of new aggregate hopper wagons in the company’s fleet to 102.

The investment in additional wagons follows the awarding of a range of new mineral contracts to EWS Construction, including a recent six-year deal with CEMEX UK for the annual movement of over 2 million tonnes of aggregates and coal.

Nigel Smith, managing director of EWS Construction, said: ‘We are delighted to announce further targeted investment in developing the aggregates market by rail. Customers are demanding additional volumes of product to be hauled each year. This investment ensures that we continue to be responsive to their needs.’

Meanwhile, EWS recently announced that take-over talks with Deutsche Bahn AG were at an advanced stage. The German rail firm is planning to take over the entire shares in EWS and acquire a majority share in Spanish logistics provider Transfesa, a move that would consolidate and extend Deutsche Bahn Logistics’ rail freight business in Europe.