British rail freight operator DB Cargo UK is claiming a first for the industry. Their north London freight terminal at Cricklewood has gone green, in a big way. It’s not just the 18m tall green wall that separates it from nearby residential streets, it’s the overall carbon footprint of the site, which the rail freight operator claims to be … nil.
The north London neighbourhood of Brent Cross and neighbouring Cricklewood has been the scene of a vast transformation. A new railway station, new commercial and residential developments, and a sweeping away of the sixties brutalist architecture for which the area had become known. Now, it’s resplendent, with verdant boulevards, trendy shops, stylish apartments … and a rail freight terminal.
A living green barrier
London has some of the most stringent emissions regulations in the world. The entire city (all 32 boroughs) is a low emissions zone for road traffic. That discourages driving heavy goods vehicles around the region, and very definitely promotes rail freight options. That, at least in part, is behind the extensive efforts DB Cargo has put in to make its Cricklewood terminal as clean as possible.
The site, which played a pivotal role in the redevelopment project, has been touted as Britain’s first-ever “net-zero” terminal, by the operators, DB Cargo UK. If you live there and didn’t even know it was there – there’s a reason for that too. It’s hidden behind a living green barrier that’s already been dubbed the New Forest of Brent.
Environmental benefits of rail
Brent was, by all measures, one of London’s least desirable destinations. Redeveloping it has been an effort that’s largely been ignored outside the north London neighbourhood. It’s been so, because the work has been carried out, to a large extent, by rail. The vast quantities of building materials coming in, and the spoil going out.
“At Cricklewood, we’ve tried to incorporate as much mitigation as we possibly can into our operations which not only has an environmental benefit, but a significant social value too in terms of improving the quality of life for those residents who live nearby,” said Stacie Scullion, DB Cargo UK’s Sustainability Manager. “For years now we have talked about the environmental benefits of transporting freight by rail rather than road, however, we can make an even bigger contribution towards helping the UK meet its carbon reduction targets by the way we operate our sites,” she said.
HVO, Volvo and Liebherr
DB Cargo can point to several initiatives it has undertaken to mitigate the environmental impact of its operations. The 4.58ha Cricklewood site previously housed a collection of light industrial units before planning permission was granted in 2018 to turn it into a rail freight terminal to support the redevelopment of Brent Cross and construction of a new showpiece passenger station nearby (see Brent Cross West at RailFreight.com).
However, the company has gone further, and not just at Cricklewood. The operator has been working hard to switch its diesel locomotive fleet over to Hydro-treated Vegetable Oil (HVO) fuel and has worked with government departments to help meet mandated targets for a net-zero UK economy by 2050. At Cricklewood, switching from diesel to HVO to fuel its on-site machinery and plant has reduced the site’s Scope 1 emissions by 98 tonnes of CO2e a year (down to just two tonnes). They have invested in more modern and fuel-efficient machinery too. A new Volvo L180H Wheel Loader was recently delivered and a new Liebherr LH40C loading machine is on order. “The new Volvo wheel loader can do the work of the two ageing loading shovels used previously,” said a spokesman. “This will reduce our plant machinery fuel consumption to approximately 41,000 litres.”
Fewer train spotters, more bird watchers
Although the Cricklewood site was established to serve the Brent Cross redevelopment project, it has been retained as an operational aggregates terminal, now serving the wider London construction market. Three client companies are resident – Heidelberg Materials, FCC Environment and Capital Concrete which is a joint venture between Brett Group and Breedon. A fourth terminal plot is on the market.
All this activity hides behind the New Forest of Brent – one of Europe’s largest green acoustic barriers. According to the rail freight operators turned horticulturists at DB Cargo, the 18m high barrier is planted with approximately 3,520m2 of native green foliage, and has become a haven for birdlife – including London’s unique flock of bright green ring-necked parakeets. None has yet been heard to say: “Who’s a pretty rail freight terminal then?”
Additional reporting by Dennis van der Laan at our sister service RailFreight.com.