{"id":503718,"date":"2026-08-10T17:11:40","date_gmt":"2026-08-10T07:11:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.railfreight.com\/?p=73335"},"modified":"2026-08-10T17:11:40","modified_gmt":"2026-08-10T07:11:40","slug":"new-minister-visits-scotlands-new-rail-terminal-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=503718","title":{"rendered":"New minister visits Scotland\u2019s new rail terminal"},"content":{"rendered":"

Scotland\u2019s newly appointed Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Tourism and Transport, Stephen Flynn, has visited West Fraser\u2019s new rail freight terminal at Dalcross, near Inverness. The visit comes shortly after the \u00a311.2 million (\u20ac13.1 million) facility was commissioned, completing a project intended to shift more timber and finished products from road to rail.<\/strong>
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The terminal provides West Fraser\u2019s manufacturing plant with a direct connection to the Aberdeen\u2013Inverness railway line. Supported by a \u00a33 million (\u20ac3.5 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\u2019s roads each year. The project also provides an opportunity for other businesses in the Inverness area to use the facility in future.<\/p>\n

From planning approval to rail connection<\/h2>\n

The terminal consists of two 560-metre sidings, together with facilities for loading and unloading freight containers. Its connection to the Aberdeen\u2013Inverness line means materials and finished products can now move by rail without requiring a separate road journey to another terminal.<\/p>\n

The development follows a long-running effort to restore timber traffic to Scotland\u2019s rail network. Planning permission was granted by Highland Council in 2025, allowing West Fraser to proceed<\/a> with the two-siding development at its Morayhill manufacturing site.<\/p>\n

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Location of the West Fraser plant near Inverness. Image: \u00a9 Open Street Map<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A new route for timber<\/h2>\n

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\u2019s 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\u2019s road network.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

A test for rail freight in the Highlands<\/h2>\n

Much of the region\u2019s freight movement remains dependent on road transport. The Dalcross terminal is significant partly because of its location on the Aberdeen\u2013Inverness 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.<\/p>\n

For the Scottish Government, the project provides a practical example of its policy ambition to increase rail freight and reduce transport emissions. Flynn\u2019s portfolio includes responsibility for rail services and the freight industry, alongside wider transport infrastructure and decarbonisation policy.<\/p>\n