West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin has backed a greater role for rail freight in supplying the materials needed to build new homes, offices and roads across the region. During a visit to Tarmac’s rail operations at Cross Green in Leeds, Brabin saw a freight train delivering construction materials from the company’s Swinden quarry in North Yorkshire. One such train can carry enough material for up to 35 homes or 1.5km of road, while replacing around 60 truck movements on Leeds’ city roads.
Around 60 freight trains carrying construction materials arrive at Leeds terminals each month, supplying projects across the city and wider region. Tarmac, infrastructure agency Network Rail and the representative Rail Freight Group used the visit to discuss how the railway could handle more of this traffic as West Yorkshire pursues housing, economic growth and its target of reaching net zero by 2038. The discussions also covered forthcoming changes to railway planning and operations, alongside further devolution of rail powers.
Supply chain on rails
The Cross Green operation illustrates how rail freight can form part of the construction supply chain without adding dozens of lorries to already busy urban roads. Material quarried in North Yorkshire arrives by train before being processed and used in projects across Leeds, from new housing to road construction and resurfacing.
According to the figures presented during the visit, transporting construction materials by rail produces 76% fewer emissions than moving them solely by road. The railway can also reduce road congestion, damage and traffic around construction sites and terminals. For a city planning significant development, that makes the freight railway a rather useful conveyor belt between quarry and building site.
More freight could follow
Brabin said rail improvements should not be considered solely in terms of passenger journeys. “Improving our railways doesn’t only boost journeys for passengers – it also gets freight from A to B. Transporting freight via rail, rather than heavy goods vehicles on our roads, is the sustainable way to get materials to construction workers, to build new homes and grow our local economy.”
Tarmac’s Head of Rail for UK and Europe, Chris Swan, said more material would need to move by rail if West Yorkshire was to deliver more affordable homes while tackling unreliable transport. Tarmac is already well known for embracing rail to move raw materials in bulk. Network Rail’s Georgie Newby also highlighted freight’s wider role in supporting the economy. The visit therefore put a fairly practical proposition on the table: if West Yorkshire wants to build more, the railway will need to help move what goes into those buildings.
A regional role for rail freight
The Rail Freight Group’s Huw Merriman said the visit demonstrated the contribution made by construction traffic, from reducing pollution and road damage to supporting housing and employment. He also argued that there was scope to do more, with the Mayor supporting further rail freight growth.
Rail freight currently accounts for around 7% of UK logistics movements, while the Government has set a target of increasing rail freight by at least 75% by 2050. West Yorkshire’s construction programme could provide one part of that growth. The challenge will be ensuring that the railway has the capacity, terminals and access needed to accommodate additional freight alongside passenger services.
The region is seeking to cut carbon emissions by 2038. The homes, roads and offices still need their raw materials. The more of those materials that can arrive by train, the fewer lorries have to make the journey and the closer the mayor and the region will be to their net-zero goal.