HS2’s Quainton Railhead in Buckinghamshire, is the fourth of its kind to open supporting the construction of the high-speed rail project and will be in operation the longest.
Over the 114 weeks Quainton will be in operation, an estimated 3,000,000 tonnes of aggregate will be transported by freight train, removing 150,000 lorries from local roads.
Chris Barton, Head of Logistics and Security at EKFB said: “The opening of our 4th Railhead is further vindication of the EKFB logistics strategy, bringing not only efficiencies in cost and environment but also critically safety and the further reduction in vehicles on the highway.
“With the support and vision from Fishbone, including, collaboration, continuous improvement and sustainability, we will continue to be a lead in delivering 21st century logistics for the construction industry.”
The first train of over 1800 into this new facility arrived on the morning of Monday 7th November 2022.
Using the existing rail lines, the carriage of material by rail (MbR) rather than road, is expected to harvest a carbon saving of over 27,000 tonnes of CO2e*, the equivalent of charging over 3 billion smart phones.
For communities living near to the high-speed rail project works, the removal of 219 trucks a day, Monday to Saturday from the road network will result in significant benefits, previously highlighted at three earlier HS2 Railheads; a significant reduction in CO2 emissions and less congestion leading to fewer road traffic incidents.
Edward Johnson, Director of Fishbone said: “The significant sustainability savings demonstrated by moving MbR for the largest infrastructure project in Europe is a catalyst for change within the transportation industry.
“The UK freight network has the capacity to be a viable sustainable alternative to moving material and our reliance on the road network as the first choice for haulage is not conducive to the net zero-carbon strategy the UK is striving towards.
“The Quainton Railhead and previous Railheads illustrate how the industry can come together to overcome complex operational and logistical challenges to achieve environmental and social benefits, not only for the local community but also for the wider UK society.”
This was achieved on behalf of HS2 by its main works contractor Eiffage Kier Ferrovial Bam (EKFB) and rail partners, Fishbone, Hanson and DB Cargo. This award-winning collaboration has been in operation for over two years and saw the first Railhead open in December 2020 at Calvert North, quickly followed by Calvert South, then at Princes Risborough in Aylesbury and now Quainton.
*Figures include Quainton setup emissions; Figures use outbound laden journeys only, not return trips; Carbon emissions factors used are from DfT Greenhouse Gas Reporting: Conversion Factors 2022. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/greenhouse-gas-reporting-conversion-factors-2022
