Feature, Freight News, Rail

AV Dawson takes charge of its train set

[ April 16, 2015   //   Chris ]

North-east based logistics firm AV Dawson has signed a 99-year lease with Network Rail to manage Middlesbrough Goods Yard. It comes as the Teesside firm completes work on its £12.5m expansion plans including a new deepwater river Tees quay; a rail freight terminal the Tees Riverside Intermodal Park (TRIP) and an automotive steel store. Dawson’s customers can take advantage of using the firm as a single supplier – from mainline rail through to, road, sea terminal or warehouse.

Managing director, Gary Dawson, said: “Taking ownership of the Middlesbrough Goods Yard strategically underpins the investments we have made over recent years in building three additional rail served facilities, all of which rely on the goods yard for main line connection. It gives our investors and customers increased confidence in our business model and in their rail served supply chains.

Network Rail said the deal marks a new model of freight infrastructure ownership, where rail freight end users take direct control of the management and investment in the siding infrastructure which supports their rail business.

Gary Dawson added: “Now we have ownership of the goods yard we can make some much needed improvements to the infrastructure, raising the standards of the tracks to meet the increased traffic and greater train lengths, improving cost efficiency for our customers.

AV Dawson has also taken over responsibility for maintaining the point of connection and the private infrastructure of Cobra Middlesbrough, which operates a dry bulk handling terminal offering additional value added processing and packing services.

AV Dawson has also installed four 30-tonne capacity overhead cranes, from Street Crane Company at its new steel facility Steel coils are offloaded directly from rail wagons for later transfer from store to commercial road vehicles.

Tags: AV Dawson