Building materials solutions company CEMEX UK today awarded a six-year contract to EWS Construction for its entire rail freight haulage requirements for aggregates and coal.

The new partnership will enable CEMEX UK, which has doubled its use of rail freight in the last five years, to optimise efficiency and accommodate further rail growth as part of its commitment to sustainable development.

A key element of the new contract is the replacement of CEMEX’s existing traditional rolling stock of 89 freight wagons with EWS Construction’s new, high capacity, track-friendly wagons that will be painted in the CEMEX liveries. This increase in wagon capacity will enable CEMEX to move more material using fewer trains, thus reducing fuel consumption and the number of journeys made.

The first wagons bearing the CEMEX logo will be on the railway network from the beginning of June.

CEMEX is committed to rail transportation and has an extensive network of railheads and depots across the country, from Selby in the north to Acton the south and as far east as Norwich. The new contract is complemented by other planned investments in CEMEX’s rail infrastructure including additional loading capacity at Doveholes. Rail movements account for over 50% of Doveholes output.

Additional investment is planned with new depots being built during the course of 2007 and 2008, further endorsing rail as a key element of CEMEX logistics strategy.

Terms and new operational solution for the coal freight haulage will be implemented by Autumn 2007 which will see larger higher capacity trains operating between Immingham and Rugby. Thus, reducing the overall number of rail movements.

It is anticipated that all initial changes with the new EWS Construction contract will be completed by early Autumn 2007 to coincide with the first batch of 48 CEMEX wagons becoming operational on the rail network. The balance of the new wagons will be brought into service during the first half of 2008.