Rail movement of aggregates on the increase

Despite an overall fall in the volume of freight moved by rail in recent years, the aggregates industry has increased the proportion of its total output transported to market this way. This is expected to increase as more depots have recently opened and others are planned, reports BDS Marketing Research. These are some of the findings of a new sector report, published for the first time, by BDS, entitled “Estimated outputs of aggregates moved through rail depots in Great Britain”.

“Since the recession, aggregates companies have increased the share of output moved by rail by over 65%” said Andy Sales, author of the report. “We are expecting this to increase in the next few years following the recent activity in new facilities being opened and planned.”

The BDS report estimates that over 16 million tonnes of aggregates were transported to a network of over 70 separate rail depots in 2015. Facilities in the south east were the main recipient of this material, predominantly in the form of crushed rock, of which it has limited reserves. The region accounts for around 70% of the total volume handled at rail depots.

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