PRESS RELEASE
13th August 2009
Direct Rail Services announces launch of a new rail freight service in Scotland.
Direct Rail Services Limited (DRS), an established national rail freight company is pleased to announce the launch of an innovative rail freight service, working in partnership with W.H. Malcolm Ltd, the Scottish haulage and distribution organisation.
This service is timely following the announcement on the A80 trunk road upgrade which will inevitably cause disruptions for road traffic over the next 18 months.
The service is for the provision of rail transportation in the Scottish region between Elderslie and Grangemouth. The traffic commenced yesterday and will be running five days a week. There is a potential for this service to increase to 6 days a week at a later stage. A daily train will haul 25 shipping containers measuring 20 and 40 in sizes to Grangemouth. It is estimated that a CO2 savings of 3000 tonnes per year will be made. This equates to removing 12,500 lorry journeys off the road network between the West of Glasgow and Forth Ports at Grangemouth which is in line with the Grangemouth Freight Hubî solution that the Scottish Government envisaged in its Strategic Transport Planning Review.
Tom Curry, Intermodal Account Manager for DRS said, The service will provide WH Malcolm and their customers with a sustainable alternative to the congestion on the A80 during the upgrade programme. It also demonstrates DRS's unique ability to provide cost effective rail solutions over relatively short distances.
DRS has an established long standing relationship with WH Malcolm and over the last few years the company is seeing an increasing number of freight traffic being moved by rail.
Jim Clark, the Managing Director for WH Malcolm Ltd commented, It is important that in this economic climate we continue to work closely with DRS to find transport solutions and develop an integrated transport package to suit the needs and demands of customers.