Tarmac contract is eco-solution
NEW life has been breathed into unwanted steel slag material to purify water on the South coast.
The recycled material is being moved by rail to Southampton through Middlesbrough logistics firm AV Dawson to filter water at a processing plant.
The environmentally-friendly move has further emphasised its eco-credentials because AV Dawson is using facilities at its Ayrton International Rail Freight Terminal on Teessside to transfer the high-quality aggregate from road tippers to bulk rail wagons.
The upshot is that each week a total of 1,600 tonnes of material is moved via one train to Southampton rather than using the equivalent of 60 lorries.
Gary Dawson, AV Dawson managing director, said: "Businesses are increasingly concerned about the environmental impact of their actions. This is a very environmentally-friendly way to solve a problem of transporting to Southampton and displays the versatility of AV Dawson.
The aggregate is delivered to the AV Dawson quayside in Middlesbrough late on Friday afternoons. From there it is stockpiled before being loaded into a 27-wagon train operated by Freightliner Heavyhaul carrying a total of 1,600 tonnes ready for delivery in Southampton at 7.30 on Saturday mornings.
The rail wagons do not arrive in the North East until after 4pm on Friday afternoon so it is an impressive indication of the service that A.V. Dawson provides its customers that they can turn it around, load it up within 3 hours ready for transporting the length of the country for delivery first thing the following morning.
Mr Dawson added: "The fact that we can receive a full train length onto our quayside, start loading immediately late on a Friday afternoon and maximise the railwagon capacity is undoubtedly a great bonus for our client. I am sure that the efficiency and flexibility of the system was one of the key selling points in winning the contract.
"It also provides a good example of the benefits of rail transportation. It is quick, efficient and can transport large loads at an impressive speed with almost no impact on the environment. If we were to ship a similar load it would take us about 24 hours and if we used lorries it would require about 60 road wagons for every one train. It is frightening to think about the impact such a large mileage would have on the environment."
