CEMEX Sheffield rail siding to further increase rail transportation of aggregates

24th June 2009: CEMEX UK, the building materials provider, has opened a new rail siding in the heart of Sheffield to handle over 200,000 tonnes of aggregates per year. This represents a five times increase over last year in the amount of CEMEX limestone being transported to the city from the company's biggest quarry at Dove Holes in Buxton, Derbyshire.

The company has invested in a new weighbridge, storage bays and cabins on the compact site at Stevenson Road, Attercliffe to handle the three trains a week that will travel from Dove Holes. The aggregates transported will go to ready mixed concrete and asphalt plants in Sheffield and the surrounding area.

In 2008 CEMEX replaced over 17 million lorry miles by rail transportation. Emissions from rail are five times lower per tonne transported compared with road, while using rail also helps reduce traffic congestion.

"The new site at Sheffield continues our expansion in rail. In the past 5 years, the material transported out of Dove Holes by rail has increased from 45% to 60%. In 2008 alone, this represented a total travelled of over 200 million tonne miles and represents tremendous environmental benefits," commented Lex Russell, CEMEX Vice President of Aggregates and Asphalt.

Limestone is transported from Dove Holes to 12 different rail sidings throughout the country from Manchester in the north to Crawley in the south. As well as taking limestone from Dove Holes, the new facility will enable hardstone to be transported from Shap Quarry in Cumbria. The rail transportation is handled by DB Schenker under a 6 year contract.

The handling at the new site has been awarded to Norec, part of the Hargreaves Group.

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