A large timber processing plant in Moray has been granted planning permission for a rail connection and sidings. The West Fraser board factory near Dalcross is adjacent to the Inverness to Aberdeen railway line. Previous attempts to bring round timber to the plant by rail were frustrated by the lack of a direct rail connection to the plant. However, this was made easier by additional work undertaken when the new station at nearby Dalcross was built. The development will be implemented in two phases, with the first trains operating next year and the project being completed in 2028. West Fraser hopes to eventually operate two trains per day, which they estimate will remove 20,000 HGV movements from local roads. This imaginative project could hold valuable lessons for timber processing plants supplied from Borders forests, especially if the railway is extended south from Tweedbank.
For further comment, contact Secretary John Liddle secretary@campaignforbordersrail.org