For 37 years, the PCA rail wagons used by Alvance British Aluminium have moved Alumina powder between Fort William and the port of Blyth, in the UK. Now, the wagons can rest, as they were sent on their final journey to the port of Sunderland to be decommissioned, GB Railfreight said.
Some of the wagons might even end up being donated for preservation, as Alvance British Aluminium said to be in talks with a historical rail association. “These wagons have been part of the rhythm of life at Fort William and the Port of Blyth for almost four decades. Their retirement marks a significant moment for everyone who’s worked with them”, the company’s managing director Tom Uppington said.
The old fleet will be replaced by 20 more modern units supplied by VTG Rail UK, with which Alvance British Aluminium signed a 10-year leasing agreement. The new wagons will be four-axle models, while the older ones are two-axle. Moreover, they are bigger wagons, which will allow the company to reduce the number of its annual journeys from 107 to 76.