A trial to deliver more than 300 tonnes of seed potatoes from Scotland to Norfolk by rail has shown promising results.
The Higgins Group, which has a seed office near Elgin, north of the border, linked up with railfreight company English, Welsh & Scottish Railways and Johnson Logistics UK to undertake the challenge.
A 12-carriage train was organised to deliver 312t of seed potatoes into the heart of Norfolk.
The trail allowed for precise loading and delivery scheduling, as well as a cost saving.
Thee switch from road to rail also saved more than 40,000 road miles.
The partnership intends to operate one train a week for the next six weeks and, if all goes well, the operation will be extended both in volume and to other UK locations, such as Cornwall.
David Higgins, group managing director, said: “This idea grew out of a strategy meeting to remove frustrations between different areas of the business. Everyone involved has worked very hard to make this happen and we are confident this will become a very successful and environment-friendly.”
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