The UK’s largest rail freight operator DB Cargo UK has secured a new five year contract to work with infrastructure construction company Tarmac. Under the latest deal, DB Cargo UK will continue to deliver aggregates by rail from Mountsorrel Quarry in Leicestershire.

The rail cargo company secured two other five year contracts from Tarmac that will transport materials for its aggregates businesses in the West of England and London.

Tarmac has announced plans to reduce its transport CO2 by 10% per tonne by 2020. In engaging DB Cargo UK, this should reduce the amount of lorry miles driven to move its aggregates as rail is so much economical per tonne of cargo than by road. Research has shown that rail freight saves as much as 30% CO2 per tonne kilometre by comparison to road transport, and such savings can significantly contribute to Tarmac’s ambitions of tackling its transport carbon emissions as a result.

DB Cargo UK infrastructure and construction head Mick Tinsley said: “We are delighted to continue our long-standing relationship with Tarmac with this contract.

“With far greater collaboration than ever before, we are excited about the development of the services and the prospects for even more construction materials to be moved by rail in the future.”

Tarmac logistics and supply chain group head Matthew Woodcock said: “An enhanced rail freight network supports our strategic growth plans, building on our current capacity to meet customers’ growing requirements for high quality construction materials for national and local infrastructure projects.”

DB Cargo UK claims to be the UK’s largest rail freight operator. It was known as DB Schenker Rail UK until March this year when it rebranded itself as DB Cargo UK.