Ferndale choose Freightliner Heavy Haul

FREIGHTLINER Heavy Haul (FHH) have been named as the preferred transport operator of a new-to-rail flow for Ferndale Aggregates Ltd – the first non-ballast aggregate contract secured by the rail freight operator. The agreement to haul 1.2 million tonnes of blast-furnace slag over four years began at the end of July.

FHH are currently operating a daily weekday service from Port Clarence in Middlesbrough to Chesterton Junction in Cambridge, but as the flow becomes established additional destinations within the East-Anglian region will also be served.

At present the flows are using a class-47 locomotive and 12 Freightliner flat wagons, each carrying three 20ft open-top containers, but the number of wagons is expected to increase as the contract develops and new bespoke 102-tonne box wagons enter service.

At the destination sites the slag, which is used in the building and construction industry, will be stockpiled and distributed locally.

Formed in 1999 as a separate division of Freightliner Ltd and operating nearly 1,000 trains a week, FHH claim to be the most reliable rail freight haulier in the UK with reliability levels of over 99% and cancellation rates of fewer than one in 1,000 trains.