37516+37669 @ Kinbrace
6Z69 Georgemas Jn to Inverness Millburn Yard loaded logs timber trial. 37516 (Loch Laidon) and 37669 in WCRC maroon livery head south on the Far North line towards Helmsdale.The 6-week trial, which will see trains loaded with timber (logs) at Georgemas, unloaded in Milburn Yard in
Inverness and delivered by road for the last 6 miles to Norbord at Dalcross, is an important trial for rail freight in
Scotland. The trial has received a funding contribution from the Transport Scotland CP6 Freight Fund.
Timber identified – market growth plan. Round table Timber by Rail Summit convened by the Scottish
Government Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Tourism - Fergus Ewing in the summer of 2019.
, timber workshop…
No timber (logs) have been moved by rail in Scotland since 2009. The last timber loading in Scotland was on the
West Highland line at Crianlarich and Arrochar and, in the intervening 11 years, the timber industry has got used
to transporting timber by road, road works well for the timber industry, particularly just now with low diesel prices.
This trial, which has been led by Victa Rail, is a demonstrator trial to prove to the timber industry that they can be
confident that rail freight can deliver their requirements and that rail is viable, environmentally sustainable and is
flexible enough to meet their requirements.
The process to set up the trial has been highly collaborative. The trial partners are Victa Rail, West Coast
Railways, HITRANS, Munro Harvesting, Network Rail and Transport Scotland alongside the land-owner at
Georgemas and DB Cargo who have supplied the wagons.
Each train will transport around 350 tonnes of timber which is over 4,000 tonnes of timber over the duration of
the trial. Transporting timber by rail reduces lorry movements on Scottish roads which has the consequential
benefit of reducing harmful emissions.
1 train replaces 28 lorries from the long-distance road network between Georgemas and Inverness (220 mile
round trip), which equates to over 6 thousand lorry miles per train or around 74 thousand lorry miles over the
course of the trial.
For environmental benefits alone the benefits of rail freight are significant. For each tonne of freight transported,
rail freight emits just one third of the carbon of an equivalent road journey. It’s also ENERGY efficient with, on
average, a gallon of fuel moving 1 tonne of goods 246 miles by rail but only 88 miles by road.
Rail freight also alleviates road congestion, improves road safety and reduces road maintenance costs.
37516+37669 @ Kinbrace
6Z69 Georgemas Jn to Inverness Millburn Yard loaded logs timber trial. 37516 (Loch Laidon) and 37669 in WCRC maroon livery head south on the Far North line towards Helmsdale.The 6-week trial, which will see trains loaded with timber (logs) at Georgemas, unloaded in Milburn Yard in
Inverness and delivered by road for the last 6 miles to Norbord at Dalcross, is an important trial for rail freight in
Scotland. The trial has received a funding contribution from the Transport Scotland CP6 Freight Fund.
Timber identified – market growth plan. Round table Timber by Rail Summit convened by the Scottish
Government Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Tourism - Fergus Ewing in the summer of 2019.
, timber workshop…
No timber (logs) have been moved by rail in Scotland since 2009. The last timber loading in Scotland was on the
West Highland line at Crianlarich and Arrochar and, in the intervening 11 years, the timber industry has got used
to transporting timber by road, road works well for the timber industry, particularly just now with low diesel prices.
This trial, which has been led by Victa Rail, is a demonstrator trial to prove to the timber industry that they can be
confident that rail freight can deliver their requirements and that rail is viable, environmentally sustainable and is
flexible enough to meet their requirements.
The process to set up the trial has been highly collaborative. The trial partners are Victa Rail, West Coast
Railways, HITRANS, Munro Harvesting, Network Rail and Transport Scotland alongside the land-owner at
Georgemas and DB Cargo who have supplied the wagons.
Each train will transport around 350 tonnes of timber which is over 4,000 tonnes of timber over the duration of
the trial. Transporting timber by rail reduces lorry movements on Scottish roads which has the consequential
benefit of reducing harmful emissions.
1 train replaces 28 lorries from the long-distance road network between Georgemas and Inverness (220 mile
round trip), which equates to over 6 thousand lorry miles per train or around 74 thousand lorry miles over the
course of the trial.
For environmental benefits alone the benefits of rail freight are significant. For each tonne of freight transported,
rail freight emits just one third of the carbon of an equivalent road journey. It’s also ENERGY efficient with, on
average, a gallon of fuel moving 1 tonne of goods 246 miles by rail but only 88 miles by road.
Rail freight also alleviates road congestion, improves road safety and reduces road maintenance costs.