Since beginning rail operations in 2018, Victa Railfreight and Cemex UK have now removed 20 million tonnes of stone out of the Peak District by train.

Since joining forces 7 years ago, Victa Railfreight manages all the train movements in, out and around the site at Dove Holes Quarry. Since 2018, 10,400 loaded train movements have left the quarry and entered the national rail network, moving 260,000 wagons, each with a 77-tonne capacity, double the capacity of a road lorry. This has led to a reduction of 520,000 lorry movements from the narrow lanes of the Peak District.

The partnership is crucially important to Cemex’s UK supply chain. Each year, 3 million tonnes of stone leave the freight terminal for use in civil engineering and construction projects across the country.

In addition to rail movements, Victa also works closely with stakeholders and partners to resolve any issues from traffic fluctuations to delays. In the last 7 years, 99% of trains have left the quarry on time thanks to this close relationship and contract management. Victa also oversees rail movements and facilitates customers who prefer to use their own rail providers to pick up their own materials from the site.

Movement of stone by rail plays an important part in the sustainability aims of both Cemex UK and Victa Railfreight. Since 2018, their emissions have been cut by 50% and the removal of lorries from local roads has improved the air quality through the villages where HGVs used to pass.

This year also marks the 30th Anniversary of Victa Railfreight starting its operations across the UK.

“Reaching 20 million tonnes transported from Dove Holes is a testament to how rail can more sustainably support the transportation of aggregates into our inner cities to enable construction and infrastructure projects. Rail freight provides a slicker, quicker, and more sustainable solution which means thousands of lorries can be taken from our congested roads every day.

At Victa Railfreight we stand shoulder to shoulder with our customers in supplying our expert teams in terminal management, ground staff, locomotive driving and strategic viewpoint to ensure a safe, reliable and more sustainable rail solution that delivers real value for all.

We are very proud of our achievements so far with our valued partner, Cemex UK, and look forward to many more celebrated milestones in the future.”

Debbie Simmons, Managing Director, Victa Railfreight

“Rail plays a vital role in our transport operations at Cemex and directly supports our global Future in Action strategy to cut CO₂ emissions. 

We’re incredibly proud of the strong growth in our rail operations in recent years and the positive impact this has had on our wider sustainability goals. Rail will remain a strategic priority for us, and we are committed to expanding its use as it becomes an increasingly important part of our supply chain.”

Rob Wilkinson, Aggregates & Asphalt Logistics Manager, Cemex UK