HS2's first freight train arrives in Bucks to start work on new railway line

Over the next 12 months, there will be over 120 freight trains delivering material to the site in the county.

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The use of freight trains is the equivalent of 12,670 HGVs that would otherwise be on Britain’s roads.

This will save 30,150 tonnes of carbon – the equivalent of flying from London to Edinburgh 930 times.

Across the whole HS2 project, 15,000 freight trains are set to be used to deliver materials.

The first of 120 trains to work on HS2

Once completed, HS2 will be a high-speed rail network connecting London, the West Midlands, Manchester and Leeds.

HS2 project client director, Ambrose McGuire said: “We are serious about reducing the impact of construction on the local community and promoting sustainable construction methods.

"That’s why I’m so pleased to see the arrival of the first material into Calvert by rail instead of the road.

“We’ve been working closely with Network Rail, EKFB and the Freight Operators for a number of years to make this possible, and to deliver not only low carbon journeys for our passengers, but also cut carbon in construction.”

The work on HS2 has started

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EKFB operations director, Peter Bimson added: “We are delighted to be at the forefront of carbon reduction in the construction industry, and bringing this aggregate into Calvert by train instead of road is not only more efficient but significantly reduces our impact on the environment.

“Removing thousands of HGVs from the roads in the Calvert area also demonstrates our commitment to the local community in delivering EKFB’s section of the HS2 project with as little impact as possible.”