TruckandTrackSpring2020

Truck and Track Spring 2020 www.truckandtrack.com 70 RAILFREIGHT GB Railfreight are very excited to unveil the plans for a £3 million new ‘operational and training facility’ in Peterborough. Founded in 1999 and headquartered in London, GB Railfreight is the third largest rail freight operator in the UK, with a turnover in excess of £200 million. GB Railfreight is one of the fastest growing companies in the railway sector and transports goods for a wide range of customers. To meet increasing demand for rail freight, GBRf are expanding operations by investing in new offices and training facilities. At present their fleet management and control centre is located in Peterborough, with a resource centre in Doncaster and additional offices across the UK. Nationwide GBRf have an 850 strong workforce. Lindum have been appointed to undertake the construction of the three-storey office building on Maskew Avenue, on the edge of the city centre. The work will involve the demolition of existing temporary office buildings and construction of a new building to house a control room, three classrooms, a board room and staff welfare facilities. GBRf was granted planning permission for the development in December 2019, with Peterborough based construction company Lindum involved in the project since the early stages. The scheme will be completed in November 2020. John Smith, Managing Director of GB Railfreight said: “The plans for our newPeterborough office have been a long time in themaking and following planning permission being granted at the end of last year, we are eager to get shovels in the ground so that we can provide the best possible facilities for our colleagues. Our decision to award Lindum with the construction contract was an easy one to make. Their reputation and track record sets them apart.” Speaking about the scheme, Lindum Commercial Manager Steve Angus said: “It is great to see a market-leading company like GBRf reaffirming its commitment to Peterborough in this way and we are delighted to be involved in the project.” “This particular site is brown field land and was previously owned by Network Rail. It is positive to see it being regenerated in this way. The land is close to the city centre and, with the planned access road, car parking spaces and 40 bike spaces, it will prove to be a much-improved home for GBRf.” Dean Duthie, Head of Major Projects said: “This is a fantastic investment for us, bringing together a variety of teams under one roof. The training school will support our state- of-the-art class 66 simulators, whilst our control tower overlooks East Coast mainline bringing us closer to frontline operations. It is a privilege to have the opportunity to lead on such scheme.” GB Railfreight invest £3million in new Peterborough office Rail Freight Group’s Scottish Conference highlights ambition for growth The recent Rail Freight Group’s (RFG) annual Scottish Conference, held in Bellshill, highlighted the buoyant market for rail freight in Scotland, and the opportunities for further growth. Opening the conference, Michael Matheson MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity at Scottish Government, said: “I cannot stress enough the opportunity for rail freight in the current environment”. Noting rail freight’s key role in low-carbon logistics, he also noted the case for further electrification and the Scottish Government’s commitment to decarbonising the transport network. Conference delegates also heard of Network Rail’s progress on delivering rail freight growth in Scotland, and of the progress on new rail schemes including the Mossend International Rail Park and Highland Spring’s terminal at Blackford. The minister went on to say: “This Scottish Government strongly supports the rail freight industry with significant investment in our railways. Our innovative regulatory freight growth target is aimed at securing newmarkets and making use of rail attractive to businesses across Scotland. “We have also given a clear commitment to decarbonise Scotland’s passenger services by 2035 and this includes a rolling programme of efficient electrification. In addition, our dedicated £25m Rail Freight Fund and our Mode Shift Grant support schemes will continue to unlock opportunities for freight operators across the country. “These benefits would be increased even further with the full electrification of end to end rail freight routes between Scotland and England, with the Department for Transport also needing to play its part,” he added. Maggie Simpson, RFG Director-General, said: “In Scotland, and across the country, our customers are keen to move more of their goods by rail. It is great to see the ongoing support from the Scottish Government, which is helping to convert this into additional trains on the network. Modal shift to rail is already helping reduce transport emissions, and we support the Minister’s aims to decarbonise the sector through greater use of electric traction, including on our cross border services.” LOADS MORE TRUCKS & TRAILERS 01543 420 121 www.deker.co.uk