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New hoppers enable GB Railfreight to carry a third more biomass

Following the recent signing of their rail haulage contract with Lynemouth Power Limited, GB Railfreight (GBRf) is to lease 50 newly built, lidded biomass wagons from rail leasing company, Nacco. The wagons will provide a more efficient service, with a payload of 70 tonnes instead of the current lidded hopper wagon’s capacity of 53 tonnes.

The new wagons, which will run in two sets of 24 wagons, delivering 1,680 tonnes of biomass per train, are auto-loading and discharging, and will be delivered at the end of November 2017 and in January 2018.

GBRf previously demonstrated its reliability along this route whilst running coal services to Lynemouth when it was owned by RWEST. The last coal train into the station was April 2015.

John Smith, managing director of GBRf, said: “We are delighted to be able to make this investment following the start of our partnership with Lynemouth earlier this year. It demonstrates GBRf’s commitment to providing the best levels of customer service and the company’s desire to ensure the most efficient fleet of rolling stock is available.

“This investment will also enable GBRf to carry more biomass to Lynemouth, reducing its carbon footprint and the emissions of the whole of the UK as well. This partnership is just one way in which GBRf, and the whole rail freight sector, is contributing to the UK hitting its climate change commitments.”

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