Media centre

Monday 6 Apr 2020

Key railway workers enable 400,000 tonnes of vital food, medicine, fuel and other supplies to be transported across Yorkshire each week

Region & Route:

Eastern

Every week, Network Rail’s key workers enable millions of tonnes of vital medical supplies, food, drinks and consumer goods to be transported around Great Britain during the Coronavirus crisis, including 400,000 tonnes of freight which is moved by rail across Yorkshire.

A reduced passenger timetable was introduced last month (March) so that a reliable service would remain in operation to get key workers, such as NHS staff, to work while allowing key freight trains to run to meet demand.

Over 400,000 tonnes of freight per week is transported across Yorkshire, which includes:

• Around 100,000 tonnes of supplies, including food for supermarkets and medication.
• Around 12,000 tonnes of petroleum fuel, to make sure petrol is available at the pumps.
• 150,000 tonnes of sustainable biomass to keep Drax Power Station running so it can continue to supply the electricity that millions of UK homes and businesses rely on.
• 50,000 tonnes of materials and finished products for the steel industry. Most of this is transported via freight from South Yorkshire to Scunthorpe and supports the wider economy.
• There are ten services per week which run overnight through Yorkshire on the East Coast Main Line, transporting letters and parcels for Royal Mail between Newcastle and London.
• Materials including sand, gravel and stone are transported across the region via freight. Stone is used to make ballast, which supports the railway and means trains can run reliably.
• Waste transporting trains are used to safely move around 10,000 tonnes of household waste per week away from urban areas across Yorkshire. This helps to keep cities and towns in the region clean.

It has been possible to meet this demand thanks to dedication of Network Rail teams who have continued to work, as they are listed as key workers by the Government, and the help of passengers who have taken government advice to avoid all non-essential travel.

Network Rail is reminding passengers that only essential journeys should be made and key workers who do need to use the railway should continue to check before travelling by visiting www.nationalrail.co.uk or with their train operator. 

Kevin Newman, Senior Route Freight Manager for Network Rail, said: “The railway plays a crucial part in keeping Britain running, particularly in these challenging times. Our teams are working hard to keep lines open for key workers, enabling vital freight services to run to keep shelves stocked and deliver vital medical equipment and to keep power stations going. 

“We’ve been able to meet the demand thanks to the dedication of our key workers at Network Rail who have continued to keep services moving, and with the help of passengers who have followed government advice to only travel when it is essential.

“We are continuing to work closely with the government and transport partners to keep the railways open and keep Britain moving.”

Andy Koss, Drax CEO Generation, said: “Our teams at Drax Power Station are working around the clock to make sure we can continue to generate the power the country needs. The power station is the UK’s largest, generating enough electricity for six million households, so it’s critical that we continue to receive the vital supplies of sustainable biomass we need – especially during the Covid-19 emergency.

“We are working very closely with the teams at Network Rail and others in our supply chains, who are playing an important part in keeping the lights on.”

ENDS