More rail for UPM

British rail freight operator DB Cargo UK is switching locomotive fuel on a huge contract from conventional diesel power to HVO.

DB Cargo AG has come up with a system that allows type ‘Ea’ bulk wagons, mainly used to transport iron ore and coal, to also be used to transport steel coils in shipping containers for its customer Voestalpine in Linz, Austria, reducing costs and turnaround time.

Britain’s centuries-old reliance on coal is at an end, creating an uncertain future for its bulk terminal ports and operators.

Rail freight operators have looked to the construction sector as coal volumes wane.

DB Cargo UK will run more than 15 train services a week under a new 10-year deal with Day Group.

Investment in biomass handling has created new industrial infrastructure in the north of England, but can wood pellet cargoes fill the gap left by initiatives to abandon coal?