Milestone Tonnage Delivered at CEMEX Railhead in Attercliffe
The CEMEX railhead at its Attercliffe site in Sheffield has received an incredible 2.5million tonnes of aggregates in the ten years since it has opened.
Of this, over 1.3million tonnes has been supplied to our external customers; 1million tonnes was for CEMEX’s nearby concrete plants, predominantly those at Rotherham, Barnsley and Attercliffe itself; and finally more than 200,000 tonnes has been used by CEMEX’s Asphalt business.
This milestone figure demonstrates the strategic importance of the rail operation to the CEMEX business in the UK. The aggregate travels to Attercliffe from the Dove Holes quarry in Buxton, Derbyshire, and the use of rail offers considerable efficiency benefits; taking trucks off the road and reducing carbon emissions. A train burns significantly less fuel per ton-mile than road vehicles, saving around 50 per cent in CO2 emissions.
David Hart, CEMEX’s Supply Chain Director for UK & France, commented: “This is an incredible milestone for Attercliffe railhead, and proves how safe and effective rail can be when transporting aggregates. Most deliveries into this site take place at night, allowing us to make the most of every hour of the day and showing that CEMEX never stops when it comes to fulfilling orders and ensuring exceptional service for our customers.
“Using rail to transport aggregates is an area of our business that continues to grow and is a real focus for us, as we look to decrease road congestion and cut carbon emissions by reducing our number of truck movements. Congratulations to Steve Taylor, plant manager, and the team at Attercliffe for this achievement – we look forward to more than doubling this tonnage over the next ten years!”
The railhead at Attercliffe is operated in partnership with DB Cargo UK, and generally receives larger locomotives with 24 wagons, carrying a load of 1,850 tonnes per train.
Andrew Sumner, Head of Industrial Sales at DB Cargo UK, said: “By combining our expertise in rail freight with CEMEX’s expertise in aggregates, we have forged a strong and successful partnership over the years, ensuring a first-class service for the UK construction industry.
“Far from being just a ‘hook and haul’ provider, we pride ourselves on offering a complete one-stop shop for all rail services, including transportation, terminal management and materials handling. We look forward to continuing our long and fruitful partnership with CEMEX in the future,” added Andrew.
For further information, please visit www.cemex.co.uk