Using rail freight to move construction materials could boost Manchester’s economy and help the city region meet its environmental goals - that’s the message from a new industry report calling for support from the Government and Network Rail .

The Mineral Products Association (MPA) and the Rail Freight Group (RFG) want to encourage more use of rail rather than road to move materials such as aggregates and cement, used in construction.

Their new publication, Building Better with Rail Freight in Greater Manchester, says rail freight typically produces 76% less carbon dioxide than the equivalent road journeys, while a single aggregates train can carry as much as 125 lorries.

The MPA says its members supply around 200m tonnes of aggregates and 9m tonnes of cement each year to meet UK demand. But just 10% of those materials are transported by rail.

While that makes mineral products the second largest market segment on the rail network after containerised freight, both the MPA and the RFG say there is a “huge opportunity” to deliver more of those materials by rail - cutting lorry miles, traffic congestion and carbon emissions.

The report sets out how local and national government, alongside Network Rail, can support those ambitions. It suggests measures including:

The report also includes case studies of local firms using rail freight, including the upgraded Cemex railhead at Salford which receives aggregates from Dove Hole quarry in Buxton. It also notes Tarmac’s three Greater Manchester railheads at Agecroft, Ashbury and Bredbury, which import hardstone and limestone aggregates from four Northern quarries.

Maggie Simpson, director general of industry body the Rail Freight Group, said: “Greater Manchester has one of the fastest growing economies in the UK, and is seeing investment in new homes, offices and infrastructure. Rail freight is already helping to minimise the carbon emissions of this construction, and with the right policy environment in place our members will be able to transport more products by rail into the region, reducing the number of lorries on our roads.”

The MPA is the trade association for the aggregates, asphalt, cement, concrete, dimension stone, lime, mortar and industrial sand industries. It has some 520 members including most independent SME quarrying companies in the UK, as well as the nine major global players in the sector.