PHILIP SHERRATT PROFILES RAIL OPERATIONS AT TARMAC’S MOUNTSORREL QUARRY IN LEICESTERSHIRE
The granite quarry at Mountsorrel is one of the largest in Europe. Granite quarrying has taken place in the Charnwood area of Leicestershire for at least 250 years, with the current site, now owned by Tarmac, dating from the 1970s.
The site extends over approximately 494 acres, with the quarry itself covering 167 acres. It has planning consent secured until 2040, and Tarmac is currently in the process of extending the quarry, which will allow further mineral reserves to be accessed and will increase its life by 25 years.
Happily, the site is close to the Midland main line, and around 60% of the stone from the quarry is transported by rail from Tarmac’s Barrow-upon-Soar railhead. But as with all rail freight, Tarmac faces the challenge of securing the train paths to meet its needs on a network which is under increasing strain.
RAIL CONNECTION
Once stone has been cut to the correct size, sieved and sorted, it leaves the site either by road or rail. Material which does not move to the railhead is distributed locally by lorry, but all the long-haul moves are by rail.
The connection to the Barrow railhead adjacent to the…
