GB Railfreight (GBRf) and Aggregate Industries have agreed a four-year contract extension. The Peterborough-based freight operator has agreed to continue moving aggregate materials from source points in the South and the Midlands of England. Aggregate Industries say this will enable their participation in the development of some of the UK’s biggest infrastructure projects.
The contract extension between GBRf and Aggregate Industries extends a commercial relationship that’s already ten years old. The client company has already expressed its commitment to rail freight. Aggregate Industries liveried locomotives, operated by GBRf, are already a common sight on the British network.
Five million tonnes by rail
The two companies have developed a close relationship over the past decade. Primarily, this contract between them will involve GBRf moving materials from Aggregate Industries’ locations at Bardon Hill in the English East Midlands and the Isle of Grain in Kent, not far from existing operations at Purfleet. The partnership will see GBRf move over five million tonnes of aggregate materials over the lifetime of the contract.
“These services will reduce the carbon footprint of the UK’s supply chains,” said a joint statement. The companies say they will help the UK government] hit its 2050 net zero obligations with ambitions to increase goods moved by rail freight by 75 per cent by 2050. They are eager to stress that an aggregate service removes up to 100 long-distance HGV [Heavy Goods Vehicle] moments from congested roads and, at the same time, reduces emissions by three quarters (diesel locomotive compared to equivalent road transport of the same volume).
Building homes and major infrastructure
In total, across all its aggregate services, GBRf moves over five million tonnes of aggregate and sand, in addition to 600,000 tonnes of cement every year. With the new government in the UK recently targeting building 1.5m homes over the next five years, construction raw materials will be in heavy demand. “I am delighted that Aggregate Industries have committed to extending our partnership, said John Smith, Chief Executive Officer at GB Railfreight. “This is a long-standing relationship which we hope will continue for many years, building homes across the country in addition to some of the UK’s biggest infrastructure projects.”
Simon Blake, who is the General Manager (Rail) at Aggregate Industries, reiterated the relationship between the companies. “We value the professionalism, enthusiasm, and innovation demonstrated daily by the staff of GB Railfreight in delivering our services,” he said. “Together with GB Railfreight, Aggregate Industries are committed to providing excellence in customer service and making sustainable construction a reality.”