Brett Aggregates Ipswich Terminal is well supported by its rail freight connectivity. The nationwide operation is growing on the back of the advantage. Currently, the terminal at Griffin Wharf is playing a growing role in supporting the movement of construction materials by rail. A recent delegation from the Rail Freight Group was told it was part of a wider shift towards more sustainable freight operations in the East of England.
Away from the hustle and bustle of the construction hotspots in London and the South East of England, the Brett Aggregates terminal in Ipswich is discreetly serving one of Britain’s biggest infrastructure projects. It’s not HS2. It’s the nuclear energy generation reactor at Sizewell C. The company already has a rail-connected site on the south coast.
Demonstrate to potential customers
Originally opened in the mid-1980s, the Griffin Wharf site is connected to the Great Eastern Main Line via a branch serving Ipswich Port. It was part of a wider rail installation supporting local industry. The line saw years of disuse and was at risk of being removed following the privatisation of the British Transport Docks Board in 1997.
Intervention by the local authority during the planning process secured the line’s retention, which later enabled its reactivation by Brett Aggregates in 2012, working in collaboration with Associated British Ports and Network Rail. The Rail Freight Group (RFG), the representative body in the UK, recently visited the terminal. While the RFG thanked Brett Aggregates for the opportunity to see the site in operation, it was also a chance for Brett to demonstrate themselves to potential customers.
Compact but efficient
Since the terminal was rejuvenated, it has steadily grown in importance. The proximity to the construction site at Sizewell C played a part in the decision to use rail freight to a large extent in the reactor project. Griffin Wharf receives marine-dredged sand and gravel, along with hard rock imported from Norway and mainland Europe. Materials are unloaded, graded on site. The operation is more compact, but similar in operations to the existing site at Newhaven, opened just over three years ago.
Local and small weight deliveries are fulfilled by road. Larger demands, such as the Sizewell project, account for up to two rail services operating each week. The terminal’s layout is compact but efficient. Trains must reverse into the site from a north-facing branch line, with wagons moved in sections due to capacity constraints. A secure headshunt extending into a public area ensures safe rail operations.
Additional capacity available
Olly Brown, Development Director at Brett Aggregates, said the reactivation of the line had supported the company’s efforts to move materials more sustainably. “The revitalisation of the rail link at Ipswich has enabled us to serve the market more efficiently while reducing road dependency. It also highlights the value of safeguarding strategic freight infrastructure for long-term use,” he said.
With limited local sources of coarse aggregate in East Anglia, the site plays a key role in supplying the region’s construction needs. It is also positioned to support major infrastructure projects, including the Sizewell C nuclear power station. Planning requirements for Sizewell C stipulate that the majority of construction materials must arrive by rail or sea to reduce the impact on local roads. Brett’s Ipswich terminal is not even up to rail capacity. Griffin Wharf has provision for up to four trains per day, with sidings at nearby Harwich Parkeston Quay available for additional flexibility and capacity.