A few weeks ago, a new rail freight flow opened up in North Wales when GB Railfreight transported a train of Welsh slate aggregate from Llandudno Junction to Luton in Bedfordshire.
The freight flow has been made possible through a joint initiative between Network Rail, construction materials company Breedon, and the Welsh Government.
Before the freight yard at Llandudno Junction could be used it required extensive work to clear vegetation, carry out track repairs, and refurbish sets of points.
The inaugural train comprised 22 wagons of slate aggregate from local quarries and travelled from Llandudno Junction freight yard to Luton in July. Each freight train will contribute to reducing carbon emissions and road congestion while making the air we breathe cleaner by removing approximately 76 lorries from the roads.
The Welsh Government, which provided match funding to Breedon Group through the Freight Facilities Grant scheme, made the enhancements at Llandudno Junction freight yard possible. The scheme encourages modal shifts if they achieve environmental benefits by removing HGVs from Welsh roads. It is expected that each year the new rail freight flow will move up to 250,000 tonnes of slate waste aggregates from the site.
Jess Lippett, senior regional freight manager at Network Rail, said:
“Rail freight is a vital part of our infrastructure, providing a fast, green, safe, and efficient way of transporting goods.
“We've worked closely with our partners at Breedon and in Welsh Government to get Llandudno Junction open for business, ensuring that we can carry slate aggregates by rail and therefore reducing the number of lorries on the road and cutting carbon emissions.
“The recent slate loading represents the second revenue-earning freight flow to commence on the North Wales coast-line in recent months – showing how we can work together to have a positive impact on the environment and the economy.”
Andy Roberts, General Manager at Breedon's Welsh Slate Business said:
“Breedon are delighted to have worked with Welsh Government to develop a high-quality freight facility in North Wales. This will allow slate aggregate to be delivered across the UK in a sustainable manner and remove truck movements from the A55.”
John Smith, chief executive officer at GB Railfreight said:
“We're delighted to be transporting Welsh slate from Llandudno.
“It is encouraging to see the Government and the private sector come together to enable a service that will transport key construction materials, create employment opportunities and drive local growth.
“This new service will demonstrate the commercial, environmental, and safety benefits of transporting goods by rail freight.”
My Dad would be thrilled to see this. He was Shed Foreman at Llandudno Junction in the early sixties. It’s so good to see this.J
Given there are no slate quarries in Llandudno, how does the slate get to this new facility?
For the first part of the journey, how else but by lorry through the narrow and twisty Bethesda High Street – the A5.