Sizewell C has welcomed the first engineering train to the site as part of the project’s commitment to move 60% of construction materials by rail or sea.
The train rolled up to the site’s Ancillary Construction Area (ACA) on Monday, February 23, via the Sizewell Branch Line, which has been recently upgraded by Balfour Beatty.
The rail line’s enhancement is central to the project’s pledge to minimise road traffic, lowering emissions and reduce disruption to local communities.
The train brought in aggregates needed for ongoing development of the site’s rail infrastructure, paving the way for more freight movements in the future.
Damian Leydon, Site Delivery Director at Sizewell C, said: “The arrival of the first engineering train marks a major moment for the Sizewell C project and a clear demonstration of the progress we’re making.
“This is testament to all the hard work from those involved, from engineers to contractors and stakeholders.
“As rail deliveries increase in the months and years ahead, we’ll continue to reduce our carbon footprint and minimise disruption to the community.
“This is an important step toward building a power station that will serve the nation for generations.”
As work on site moves forward, rail deliveries are expected to scale up in phases, with up to four freight trains per day at peak operation.
This includes trains using the project’s Green Rail Route which, once complete, will provide a direct connection from the existing branch line to the project’s Temporary Construction Area, bypassing Leiston entirely.
It has been estimated that each freight train could remove around 50 HGV journeys from local roads.
Tom Emanuel, Project Lead, Balfour Beatty Rail, said: “It has been immensely rewarding to see the first of two large rail heads at Sizewell C come to life.
“This new infrastructure will enable the efficient movement of materials via the rail network to help build Sizewell C.
“It has been realised through the meticulous planning, innovative mindset, hard work and determination of our expert delivery team and supply chain partners who will relish the arrival of this important milestone train.”
Following construction of Sizewell C, both the Green Rail Route and the line serving the ACA will be reinstated to their original condition.
