Freight

• Seed potatoes are being moved by EWS from Elgin to East Anglia. The empty vans work up to inverness on the lairg oil train and are tripped to Elgin by the sleeper 67.  The loaded vans return south via Laurencekirk. (20.02.08)

• Work on the new freight terminal at Inverness appears imminent (12.02.08)

• Vans have turned up in Elgin Yard, possibly delivered from Inverness by the sleeper 67 (12.02.08)

• Oil pipes from Hartlepool have briefly returned to Georgemas Junction (11.09.07)

• The Scottish Executive has awarded DRS £750k  to maintain the existing Grangemouth-Aberdeen ASDA flow, formerly supported by DfT CNRS scheme, and now replaced by REPS- Rail Environmental Benefit Procurement Scheme. Full details. 

Northbound Freight at Garelochhead 11.07.07

• EWS has now been taken over by Deutsche Bahn, with a sum of £200m being rumoured. (04.07.07)

• EWS is in discussions with Deutsche Bahn over possible acqusition by the German company, whose freight Railion already owns the former freight operations of DSB (Denmark) and NS (Netherlands) 07.06.07

• AMEC has begun timber haulage by rail from Arrochar, with Crianlarich to be added soon. (09.05.07)

Timber wagons being loaded for AMEC 11.07.07

• Freight and the Rural Railway- HRP article for the Rail Freight Group Handbook 2007. (02.03.07)

• Scrap originating from the former oil fabrication yard at Ardersier is being loaded in Inverness for EMR Liverpool. It is conveyed in JXAs on the back of the empty parcels train. (02.02.07)

• EWS has issued a press release entitled 'Scottish freight targeted for modal shift as EWS Network launched.' Reference is made to additional services from the Highlands.More more info see www.ews-network.co.uk (10.01.07)

• The daily Walsall-Mossend-Inverness/Aberdeen DHL service is likely to cease soon, following a change in the company's operations. (04.01.07)

• AMEC have apparently picked up the West Highland timber business, and on 14 December were advertising for shunters/train preparers in the Oban Times (which covers Fort Wiliam). (15.12.06)

• DRS are up and running in Inverness, with a railhead treatment train. (27.11.06)

• EWS is to devolve operational control from CSDC Doncaster when the new standalone business units- EWS Industrial, EWS Energy, EWS Construction and  EWS Network are created. (25.10.06)

• Victa Railfreight in conjunction with FM Rail are to start a 3 trains per week service between Hams Hall, Birmingham and Mossend on 1 November.  In 2007 it is likely to start back from North Thameside on a 5 day/week schedule. (25.10.06)

• The Lairg tanks have not run for 3 weeks because demand has dipped due to the mild weather and cheaper fuel elsewhere (05.10.06)

 



Asda traffic heads north-east  through Perth Aug 06

  37 on the Lairg tanks 19.06.06
 
66 at Spean Bridge 06.06.06 with ingots and empty oil tanks

• Tavish Scott recently visited Perth Harbour, and was particularly interested in the development of the railhead. (31.05.06)

• The Scottish Executive have awarded £200k to Eddie Stobart to move 26 Tesco containers per day from Daventry to Coatbridge. The DfT are also contributing £235k.  Haulage will be provided by DRS. (26.04.06)

• Plans are well advanced for a new timber terminal at Crianlarich Lower. A Freight Facilities Grant is to be submitted for the c£1.5m project which would see timber operations concentrated on the former Callander and Oban Line spur. the connection to the Oban line is still live. (24.05.06)

• Today's EWS train arrived in Inverness conveying the Lairg oil tanks, DHL parcels vans and 10 containers due to be roaded to Wick for a new retail store. (03.04.06)

• BSW Kilmallie  is taking over the Arjo Wiggins site at Corpach. This will give the timber processor direct rail access. (27.03.06)

67 on the tanks at Lairg 20.03.06

• The Scottish Executive have awarded £5.2m to John Scott  for a timber haulage scheme involving the use of an FMU, and £600k to WH Malcolm for moving plasterboard from Kikby Thore on the S&C. (04.02.06)

                       
                        Pipes at Georgemas 24.02.06

• With ASDA proposing to open in Thurso, and Tesco committed to Wick,  hopes rise for a return to rail for retail goods. (03.02.06)           

• The Lairg oil trip has been retimed to Mondays out and back. (16.01.05)

• The BSW sawmill at Kilmallie, Corpach could move over the road to the rail-served former Arjo Wiggins site. (08.12.05)

• Pipes returned to the Far North Line with a train from Hartlepool conveying pipe for Subsea 7 at Rockwater. (08.12.05)

• DRS are recruiting drivers for an Inverness depot to be operational in summer 06. The traffic is currently unknown.

• The Scottish Parliament is conducting an inquiry into freight transport in Scotland. (24.10.05)

• Freightliner ran a train carrying new rail to Forsinard on 4th October- their first working north of Inverness (5.10.05)

• DRS have advertised for drivers to be based in Inverness in the local paper. (5.10.05)

Road salt trial 3.10.05

• Tavish Scott has announced £4m to clear the route from Elgin to Mossend for  larger containers. (5.10.05)

• Freight fell 9% to 8.3m tonne kilometres last year in Scotland. (26.9.05)


• Arjo Wiggins paper mill at Corpach has closed. Latterly only china clay slurry was moved by rail. (5.10.05)

• Supermarket giant Morrison have decided not to use rail to Inverness, having acquired Safeway last year. (26.09.05)

• HRP is co-funding a trial of road salt from Glasgow to Inverness for Highland council. The proposed start date is 3 October. (26/09/05)

• Haulier JG Russell has taken over Caithness  freezer firm Norfrost. It is hoped that the new firm Icetech will use rail from Georgemas. (14.09.05)

• WH Malcolm have been awarded c£1.5mFreight Facilites Grant  for development of the Elderslie (Linwood) terminal. (10.09.05)

• BT's Thurso call centre now manages EWS' voice and data communications. (1.9.05)

• Supermarket traffic to Inverness has declined rapidly with Morrisons and Tesco virtually ceasing rail operations in the north.

• The lineside loading facility at Kinbrace is becoming a virtual quarry. Weekly trainloads of 15  wagons are stockpiling material for the relay between Forsinard and Georgemas late in the year. (3.08.05)

• The EWS DHL parcels service to Aberdeen and Inverness is now taking parcels back south.

• HRP and Highland Council are discussing trials of road salt to Inverness and Lairg with JG Russell.

• Advenza, the shorlived pallet load company, has been taken over by Cotswold Rail, whcih intends to operate freight trains.

• The FMU trial in Wales is running successfully. 200 tonnes of timber is transported from Aberystwyth daily.

FMU at Machynlleth

• Intermodal traffic briefly  returned to Inverness on 21 February with a train carrying supermarket products, including Tesco for the first time.

• The £1.2bn Delny, Invergordon timber plant will require 3.8mtpa of roundwood, 75% of which will be supplied by ship.  sluury will also come in, while paper and pulp could go out by rail.

• From April mud oil used in off shore drilling will be hauled from Harwich to Aberdeen by First-owned GB Railfreight marking the company's first venture north of central Scotland.

• West Coast Railway, operators of the Jacobite, are applying to ORR for a Freight Operating licence.

EWS train conveying bulk alumina and empty ingot flats at Spean Bridge