Scottish government dedicates funding for freight modal shift

Credit: Transport for Scotland - Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity Secretary, Michael Matheson

Transport Scotland has announced the decision from the Scottish government to allocate £1.49 million in a Freight Facilities Grant to sustainable building material company, Tarmac, for the expansion of rail operations at the company’s Dunbar cement plant.

Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity, Michael Matheson, announced the allocation of funding to Tarmac at the beginning of March 2020. The Freight Facilities Grant is open to companies looking to move freight by the more sustainable modes of rail or water, instead of road.

Michael said: “I am delighted to award £1.49 million of funding from our Freight Facilities Grant to Tarmac towards expanding its Dunbar facility. Tarmac is a key user of rail and strong advocate for the industry. This award is the first Freight Facilities Grant for rail for a number of years and will help ensure that rail remains the key mode of transport for much of Tarmac’s operations.”

He continued: “The recently published National Transport Strategy sets out the Scottish government’s vision for a sustainable, inclusive, safe and accessible transport system where our businesses make sustainable choices to support the reliable delivery of goods and services. That is why we are leading the way in support for rail freight with clear policy support, innovative regulatory targets to encourage growth and backing this with general investment and specific funding. Our dedicated £25 million Rail Freight Fund and our Mode Shift Grant support schemes, which include the Freight Facilities Grant, will help to unlock opportunities for rail freight across the country.”

Head of Rail at Tarmac, Chris Swan, echoed Michael’s sentiment: “We’re delighted to receive this funding from Transport Scotland which supports our commitment to developing our rail offering, reducing carbon emissions and improving air quality. The enhanced rail distribution capabilities at our Dunbar cement plant will support our commitment to transporting as much product as possible on the rail network and not the roads, providing essential construction materials to infrastructure projects both within Scotland and beyond.”