A rail freight route into the Port of Sunderland is expected to move around 100,000 tonnes of aggregate during its first year, according to building materials company Holcim UK.
The service began in June 2026 and currently operates about once a week. Holcim says 14 trains have already delivered nearly 20,000 tonnes for asphalt production across the North East.
Weekly deliveries into Sunderland
Each train carries 19 wagons and approximately 1,425 tonnes of material. The company puts that load at the equivalent of about 70 rigid lorry movements or 52 articulated vehicles.
The aggregate primarily supports Northumbrian Roads, as well as Hulands Asphalt and the wider regional market.
Holcim said Sunderland's existing railhead offered an alternative supply route as changing arrangements at the Port of Tyne put pressure on established logistics.
Using the port's existing equipment
The project involved Holcim's asphalt, aggregates and logistics teams, GB Railfreight and the Port of Sunderland. Existing handling equipment and storage allowed the route to begin without major new fixed infrastructure, the company said.
Open box wagons can be unloaded using port equipment. The port can store up to 6,000 tonnes of the material.
Mustapha Nyass, Holcim's regional operations manager, said the route was intended to strengthen supply for construction and road-maintenance projects. Rail general manager Damien Preece said using existing wagons and an underused railhead gave the business more operational options.
The 100,000-tonne figure is a forecast for the first 12 months, not an amount already delivered.
Source: Holcim UK's announcement, dated 7 October 2026.
