DB Cargo UK runs trial train as part of big development plans 29 September 2017

Rail freight operator DB Cargo UK and steel and mining company ArcelorMittal launched a trial service moving 1,300 tonnes of steel coil by rail to Wolverhampton. It is envisaged that the service will operate weekly once the trial is complete. It underpins the significant investment that DB Cargo UK has made into its facilities at the site. This includes the development of the new Wolverhampton Logistics Centre, which is set to open in July 2018.

The trial train transported 20 loaded BYA type wagons of steel coil from the Port of Boston on the East Coast of England. DB Cargo UK is providing a full port to end user service for ArcelorMittal, with the final miles of the delivery done by road to a number of manufacturers in the West Midlands.

The current facility at Wolverhampton has the capability of storing and handling 1,380 steel coils. The new centre will increase this by 1,944 coils, giving a total capacity of 3,325 coils, which is 40,000 tonnes of steel.

When the Company opens the Wolverhampton Logistics Centre in 2018, it plans to increase this service from one train to three or four trains per week.

Using rail significantly reduces congestion on the roads, as each train can carry as much material as around 76 HGVs.