Scotland’s newly appointed Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Tourism and Transport, Stephen Flynn, has visited West Fraser’s new rail freight terminal at Dalcross, near Inverness. The visit comes shortly after the £11.2 million (€13.1 million) facility was commissioned, completing a project intended to shift more timber and finished products from road to rail.
The terminal provides West Fraser’s manufacturing plant with a direct connection to the Aberdeen–Inverness railway line. Supported by a £3 million (€3.5 million) Freight Facilities Grant from the government agency, Transport Scotland, it is expected initially to remove around 10,000 HGV (heavy goods vehicle) movements from Scotland’s roads each year. The project also provides an opportunity for other businesses in the Inverness area to use the facility in future.
From planning approval to rail connection
The terminal consists of two 560-metre sidings, together with facilities for loading and unloading freight containers. Its connection to the Aberdeen–Inverness line means materials and finished products can now move by rail without requiring a separate road journey to another terminal.
The development follows a long-running effort to restore timber traffic to Scotland’s rail network. Planning permission was granted by Highland Council in 2025, allowing West Fraser to proceed with the two-siding development at its Morayhill manufacturing site.
A new route for timber
West Fraser currently supplies timber products to customers across Britain and Europe. The new facility provides an additional option for moving both incoming materials and finished products, with rail becoming part of the plant’s logistics operation. The project is also intended to reduce emissions associated with the movement of freight. West Fraser estimates that its initial operation could cut annual CO2 emissions by around 9,000 tonnes, alongside reducing the number of heavy vehicles using Scotland’s road network.
Those figures will ultimately depend on how the terminal is used and the volumes transferred to rail. The wider opportunity, however, extends beyond West Fraser if spare terminal capacity can be made available to other businesses in the Inverness area.
A test for rail freight in the Highlands
Much of the region’s freight movement remains dependent on road transport. The Dalcross terminal is significant partly because of its location on the Aberdeen–Inverness railway. That makes the facility a useful test of what can be achieved when a major manufacturing site is connected directly to the railway. It also highlights the importance of suitable loading infrastructure, reliable freight services and sufficient capacity on the wider network.
For the Scottish Government, the project provides a practical example of its policy ambition to increase rail freight and reduce transport emissions. Flynn’s portfolio includes responsibility for rail services and the freight industry, alongside wider transport infrastructure and decarbonisation policy.
From Inverness to the wider network
The next question is how consistently the terminal can be used, and whether its capacity can support flows beyond West Fraser’s own traffic. The company has indicated that there is potential for other businesses around Inverness to make use of the facility.
That could give the terminal a role beyond timber, although such development will depend on demand, suitable traffic and commercially viable rail services. For now, its primary purpose is to provide West Fraser with an alternative to road haulage.