Media centre

Wednesday 12 May 2004

OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE WHITEMOOR DISTRIBUTION CENTRE

Region & Route:

| Eastern: Anglia

| Eastern

| Southern

Network Rail is hosting the official opening event and photo opportunity of its new Whitemoor Distribution Centre in March, Cambridgeshire. Malcolm Moss MP, John Armitt, Network Rail Chief Executive, Martin Elwood, Network Rail Director National Delivery Service and John Smith, GBRf Managing Director will be donning their hard hats to pronounce the new distribution centre, the second largest and newest in the UK, open. Construction of the depot started in November 2003 and just six months later the depot started its phased opening. Engineering trains are now using Whitemoor to stable and stock up on provisions for engineering work across the whole of East Anglia. Many contractors were involved in the construction, including: Birse Construction; GART Renewals; WS Atkins; Trackwork; Lafarge Aggregates; Aggregate Industries; Wardell Armstrong and May Gurney.  All of whom will be represented at the event. The statistics associated with the depot are huge and highlight the feat which has been achieved through hard work, good planning and partnership:  24,100 recycled sleepers installed, 80,000 tonnes of track ballast, 32,000 metres of rail, 40,000 tonnes of aggregate laid, 211 lighting columns, 67 sets of points, 3,300 metres of perimeter fencing, 1,200 metres of site roadways, 16 kms of sidings.  - more - VIP event– 2 The site of the new Whitemoor depot is also very important to the town of March.  It was once the site of the largest freight marshalling yard in the whole of Europe. Many of the town’s residents worked on site and those who remain in the area have very fond memories of their time there. As a result, local councillors and railway employees will also attend the opening event. EVENT DETAILS – TUESDAY 25 MAY 2004 Details: ·        A mini bus will be collecting visitors from March station and shuttling them to the depot from 11.30.  ·        Guests will meet on site at 11.45 with a short tour of the site at 12.00 and the photo opportunity scheduled for 12.15.  ·        A light buffet lunch will be provided after the event.  ·        The mini bus will shuttle guests back to the station from 12.45 until 14.15 Photo opportunity: ·        John Armitt and Martin Elwood, Network Rail, Malcolm Moss MP and John Smith, GBRf will stand in a front loading shovel vehicle, positioned with Network Rail branded side tippers and the newly renamed (‘Whitemoor’) GBRf locomotive in the back ground. RSVP To Jenny Sacre on 020 7904 4043 or jenny.sacre@networkrail.co.uk