DB Cargo UK, one of the UK’s largest rail freight operators, has been awarded a new, two-year contract to transport china clay for mineral specialist, Imerys.
China clay is mined in Cornwall and is an essential ingredient in the manufacture of china and porcelain, as well as being used in the making of products like paper, rubber and paint.
DB Cargo UK operates two separate traffic flows for Imerys – from Goonbarrow and Branch to Fowey Docks and from Cornwall to Cliffe Vale in Stoke.
Every week the rail freight company transports in the region of 7,200 tonnes of china clay for Imerys in covered hopper wagons – this removes around 11,000 lorries a year off Cornwall’s road network.
DB Cargo UK head of sales Roger Neary said: “We are proud of our long-standing relationship with Imerys and look forward to continuing to provide them with high quality services in the South West and beyond.
“Rail freight provides a faster, more efficient and environmentally-friendly method of transporting materials of this kind, reducing congestion on the UK’s already congested road network.”