We’ve officially relinked Horton Quarry in Ribblesdale, Yorkshire back to the railway. The seven-year-old project will help freight move more goods in a more sustainable way and help boost to the local economy and the building industry.
Rail freight contributes £1.7bn to the economy and we’re committed to growing the industry for a greener, more sustainable and stronger Britain.
Horton Quarry in Yorkshire Dales National Park is an important part of that. It’s been a vital source of limestone for building projects since 1889. But all materials had to be transported by road for the several decades after the rail link was removed, sending heavy lorries trundling through the park’s villages.
That’s now changing. We’ve worked with the quarry’s owner, Heidelberg Materials, and contractor Volker Rail to reconnect it to the railway.
More sustainable journeys
The re-linked rail terminal will move about 1,600 tonnes of limestone from the quarry every weekday on the railway instead of on lorries. This will help save more than 507 tonnes of C02 each year and keep the roads clearer.
Plus, the rail link will help boost the local economy by safeguarding jobs at the quarry. The local government plans to reduce road haulage through the region – so the quarry might have had to close without the link. And the link will help the building industry that relies on much of the stone coming from the quarry.
Becky Murphy, regional director at Heidelberg Materials, said: “This is a fantastic outcome that’s been years in the making.
“It will allow us to supply high-quality aggregate to major construction projects by rail, reducing vehicle movements on the wider road network and cutting associated CO2 emissions.”
A safer railway
Relinking the terminal wasn’t just about laying track. The team upgraded the signals nearby and added two new sets of points, which help trains change tracks.
We also added a new bridge as part of the project to replace a nearby level crossing on the line. The level crossing is still in use but we’ll fully close it once lifts are installed on the bridge this winter. This will help keep our railway safer by providing an even safer crossing option while allowing freight trains to move uninterrupted.
Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy said: “It is great to see this rail freight collaboration. The reopening of Horton Quarry’s rail link after 60 years demonstrates our commitment to rebuilding Britain’s infrastructure while safeguarding local jobs and creating cleaner, safer communities.
“Projects like this support our ambition for rail freight growth and will help deliver on our Plan for Change mission to kickstart economic growth across the country.”
Relinking other freight terminals
David Hunter, a senior regional freight manager at Network Rail, said: “This is the third quarry we have connected to the Settle-Carlisle line in recent times and considering that the line was under the threat of closure during the 1980s, this is a remarkable turnaround for both freight growth and the future of the line.
“Many industry partners have worked hard over the last few years to connect this quarry to the rail network and the benefits will be seen for many years to come.”
We relinked Arcow and Dryrigg quarries in the Yorkshire Dales in January 2016 to the same line after nearly 50 years. The move helped replace up to 16,000 lorry journeys each year – again leading to cleaner air, less congestion on roads and a boost to the local economy.
And we’re not just creating more freight links in Yorkshire. We finished building a new freight interchange in Northampton in May. It’s a vital step in helping grow the rail freight industry. Freight operator DB Cargo is running freight services from the hub five times a week – a move that will remove up to 380 lorries from the road each week.
