West Fraser railfreight

[Railwaycat]

Surprised no one has posted about this development (or if they have, here's an update):

Work under way on new £11.2m freight terminal near Inverness

The facility is being built at West Fraser's Dalcross site known locally as the 'cloud factory'.

www.bbc.co.uk

Work has started on a new £11.2m freight terminal near Inverness to help move more Highland goods to the UK market by rail.

I assume the inbound would be timber, but outbound?

 

[zwk500]

The products produced at the factory, one assumes. OSB and MDF are mentioned. This PDF seems to outline the proposal: https://camsys.co.uk/archives/west-...raser-Public-Consultation-Boards-draft-v4.pdf
The site might also function as a small hub for distribution of containers to Inverness and the surrounding area. There's already a container train to Inverness yard itself via the Highland line (https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:H00322/2025-10-06/detailed) which could potentially be run via Aberdeen or runround at Inverness to access the new terminal at Dalcross (depends whether the new site will be more or less convenient for the onwards distribution).

 

[Stathern Jc]

Interesting to see "should other companies use the facility".
Could that really be a hint at the possibility of outbound traffic? Or just a politician egging things up hoping to be quoted?

 

[zwk500]

Interesting to see "should other companies use the facility".
Could that really be a hint at the possibility of outbound traffic? Or just a politician egging things up hoping to be quoted?

I expect WestFraser intend to use the facility for their own outbound traffic, to be fair.

However I also suspect that the Scottish Government funding will have been contingent on the facility being (at least theoretically) available to other companies.

There is a daily path from Coatbridge to Inverness and back run by DRS and a tuesday-thursday only path from inverness to Georgemas Junction (6S99) which hints at there being some rail-borne traffic already that may be interested in moving from the yard right in the town to a location on the edge of town for if it means longer trains, smoother handling or easier distribution.

 

[fgwrich]

I expect WestFraser intend to use the facility for their own outbound traffic, to be fair.

However I also suspect that the Scottish Government funding will have been contingent on the facility being (at least theoretically) available to other companies.

There is a daily path from Coatbridge to Inverness and back run by DRS and a tuesday-thursday only path from inverness to Georgemas Junction (6S99) which hints at there being some rail-borne traffic already that may be interested in moving from the yard right in the town to a location on the edge of town for if it means longer trains, smoother handling or easier distribution.

Part of the initial trial a few years ago (and potentially may well have continued) is that WestFraser products produced at Dalcross have been loaded into the southbound Tescoliner which otherwise would be returning largely empty.

 

[CEN60]

Does anyone know if the construction is via West Fraser's own contractor or via Network Rail - as they will have to link to the connection that was installed as part of the Airport Station Project?

 

[mcmad]

West Fraser's own contractor. Similar to how the Highland Spring terminal at Blackford was delivered.

 

[mr_towers]

I expect WestFraser intend to use the facility for their own outbound traffic, to be fair.

However I also suspect that the Scottish Government funding will have been contingent on the facility being (at least theoretically) available to other companies.

There is a daily path from Coatbridge to Inverness and back run by DRS and a tuesday-thursday only path from inverness to Georgemas Junction (6S99) which hints at there being some rail-borne traffic already that may be interested in moving from the yard right in the town to a location on the edge of town for if it means longer trains, smoother handling or easier distribution.

6S99 (and 6M97) were the glowex I thought? Not the sort of thing that WestFraser want in their yard!

 

[zwk500]

6S99 (and 6M97) were the glowex I thought? Not the sort of thing that WestFraser want in their yard!

Ah, that would make sense. I'd connected them with the timber loading trial at Georgemas Jn but if they're for the reactor then they're unlikely to move to the yard.