DCRail has launched a new short-haul rail freight service carrying recycled asphalt planings from Angerstein Wharf in Greenwich to Purfleet, supported by barge deliveries that keep hundreds of heavy trucks out of central London. The operator, part of the Cappagh Group, says the flow shows how water and rail can work together to cut congestion and emissions, even over short distances.
The move is underpinned by the first Network Rail Control Period 7 (CP7) access charge discount awarded to a bulk freight flow. This incentive helps rail compete with road over the 40km corridor, with each train replacing around 40 lorry journeys. Barges delivering bulk loads to Angerstein Wharf make an even greater impact. The Mineral Products Association (MPA) notes that each barge movement can remove the equivalent of 250 lorries from London’s road network.
From river to rail
Angerstein Wharf, on the south bank of the River Thames, is one of London’s safeguarded wharves for bulk cargo. It receives aggregates and recycled materials by river barge, providing a low-carbon link from construction and demolition sites across the capital. The recycled asphalt planings (removed road surface material) for this service arrive at the wharf by water before being transferred directly into rail wagons.
By using barge-to-rail transhipment, the operation avoids two potential road legs. This aligns with London’s freight and safeguarding strategies, which prioritise waterborne and rail transport for construction materials and protect key wharf sites such as Angerstein from redevelopment. The safeguarding directive covers around fifty locations, mostly in the south east of London, which includes Angerstein.
Short haul, long detour
Although Greenwich and Purfleet sit on opposite banks of the River Thames, the train route is far from direct. With no cross-river rail link at this point, the service loops across the capital to reach the London, Tilbury & Southend line, where Purfleet Freight Terminal is located. It’s a short distance upriver from the Thames Freeport, which encompasses Tilbury and London Gateway ports. While it is one of the shortest bulk rail flows in the UK, the environmental benefits are significant. The project has been financially backed by the initiative from the UK infrastructure agency, Network Rail, which has encouraged new freight flows by discounting access charges for using the British rail network.
“Network Rail is committed to supporting the delivery of rail freight growth and modal shift to rail, and the launch of our Track Access Discounts Scheme in August 2024 is indicative of this,” said Andy Bradford, Lead Strategic Planner at Network Rail. “The policy has already been successful in driving growth in new intermodal traffic, and with the approval of DCRail’s Greenwich to Purfleet service, we are delighted to see the policy also successfully stimulating growth in aggregates traffic. This new traffic will help us achieve our rail freight growth targets, remove HGVs from the congested road network of the Southeast, and support the Government’s key missions.”
Fleet and operations
Avoiding road transfers through south-east London prevents dozens of heavy goods vehicles from contributing to congestion, air pollution and road safety risks. The MPA’s barge figures, combined with the rail savings, illustrate how urban freight strategies can deliver a compounded reduction in truck movements.
DCRail owns and operates its own locomotives and rolling stock. It uses rebuilt British Rail Class 60 diesel units upgraded by DB Cargo UK at Nottingham for heavy-haul work. Box wagons for the asphalt plainings are leased from VTG, from a fleet built specifically for the company’s aggregates business. DCRail recently also reactivated another aggregates terminal in the south of London, at Chessington (See RailFreight.com).
Cappagh Group, of which DCRail is part, is active in construction and waste sectors, integrating river and rail into its logistics operations to lower carbon output. Director of Rail, David Fletcher, described the scheme as “exactly what the discount is for,” making rail competitive and getting trucks off the road. The client is Holcim, which rebranded last year from its previous corporate persona, Aggregate Industries.
