Refurbishment works included upgrades to the railhead conveyor which was last operational in 2012, prior to which the railhead was used on a regular basis to supply rail ballast to Network Rail.
The first service, operated by GB Railfreight, transported stone from Hanson’s Penmaenmawr quarry to its Tuebrook depot near Liverpool; a trial to test equipment and uncover any operational or logistical issues in the supply chain within the quarry and to the railhead.
The aim is to load one train per week to deliver rail borne aggregates into markets in the north west of England. The volume of material transported in each load will be dependent on its destination and the capacity of the network.
Aggregates regional director Becky Murphy said: “The reopening of our Penmaenmawr railhead is the first step towards re-establishing the long-term economic viability of the quarry, which also underpins the supply of asphalt and concrete products and so supports a number of local jobs both directly and indirectly.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson recently visited the site and saw first-hand how the investment in the site is allowing aggregates to be transported by rail, reducing vehicle movements and cutting CO2 emissions.
Hanson UK’s CEO Simon Willis set out the importance of the minerals industry to the UK economy. “Securing planning permission for mineral extraction can be challenging at a local level but is essential to ensure a consistent supply of materials to enable the government’s low carbon construction and levelling-up ambitions.
“I explained to the Prime Minister that the industry needs visibility of the government’s pipeline of planned infrastructure projects to give us the reassurance which will allow us to plan and invest to secure the volume of minerals required.”