Breedon company Welsh Slate has reduced the embedded carbon in its quarried materials by shifting transport from road to rail.

The Llandudno Junction freight yard had not been used for several years but extensive work – including vegetation removal, track repairs and refurbishment of the points which allow trains to swap tracks – has brought it back into service.

The yard is near the main Penrhyn Quarry of Breedon Group subsidiary Welsh Slate. Up to 260,000 tonnes of materials – ranging from sub-base to decorative aggregate – are expected to pass through it each year, with trains expected to run weekly.

Typical freight trains will carry 1,500 tonnes of material, compared to a truck’s 28 tonnes.

The first freight train left the refurbished railhead carrying the equivalent of 76 truckloads of Welsh Slate Hard Grey Type 1 sub-base aggregates to Luton.

Breedon already operates several other railheads around the UK, and this latest investment will further improve its distribution network for customers and lower the carbon footprint of its operations.

The project was supported by the Freight Facilities Grant Scheme, which encourages modal shifts to deliver environmental benefits by removing HGVs from roads.

John Smith, chief executive of GB Railfreight, which is operating the trains, said: “It is encouraging to see the government and the private sector come together to enable a service that will transport key construction materials, create employment opportunities, and drive local growth. This new service will demonstrate the commercial, environmental and safety benefits of transporting goods by rail freight.”

In addition to road and rail, Welsh Slate also ships slate aggregates from Port Penrhyn in Bangor to the UK and Europe.

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