Rail freight UK

GB Railfreight (GBRf) is delighted to announce that in partnership with Network Rail, it has secured a lease for the long-disused March Up Yard rail sidings complex in Cambridgeshire. The site is just over three acres in size and will accommodate trains of up to 320m in length.  It will operate in conjunction with the Down Yard, south of the main line, which GBRf already works from. The line through March is part of the nationally designated freight route between Felixstowe and Nuneaton, and plays a key role in the haulage of goods and materials around the country. The site will initially be utilised for the stabling and maintenance of rolling stock used on the traffic between Middleton Towers and Yorkshire, as well as that used to carry aggregates between the Peak District and East Anglia.  As rail traffic to and from Felixstowe continues to grow, the yards will be used for container wagons as well. As part of the lease, GBRf will refurbish the railway track, putting it into good working condition.  Consideration is also being given to the possible installation of a fuel point. The scheme will incorporate new fencing and acoustic barriers to mitigate the impact of the yard’s re-opening on nearby residents. John Smith, Managing Director of GBRf, said of the new facility:

“We’re really very pleased to have secured this location.  It will help reduce emissions and save costs in terms of running several hundred empty miles each week in order to get our wagons serviced.  It will also reduce congestion elsewhere along our routes and assist with timetabling flexibility, improving performance overall.  It’s a real bonus for us.”

Guy Bates, Head of Freight Development at Network Rail added:

“The re-opening of March by GBRf to support their growing freight traffic operation is a very satisfying development. Recognising its location on a rail freight corridor of national significance, we took the decision to include this site in our 2014 freight estate acquisition portfolio in the clear anticipation that it would have future utility.  Successive Governments have shared an ambition to grow freight on rail substantially and our facilitating of this type of market led development of our freight estate is critical to realising that growth.”