THE heart of Scotland’s rail freight industry lies in hub railheads along the Mossend-Coatbridge-Grangemouth axis.
This is the north end of the West Coast Main Line which is the busiest trunk route for freight in Britain., where millions of tonnes of containerised freight are handled safely and sustainably every year.
Shipping containers are shifted by rail from Coatbridge Freightliner Terminal, which is a key “inland port” for Scottish export containers. The Freightliner network is now focused on the deep sea sector, where rail is at its most competitive.alternative. Scottish whisky exports are a key component of rail operations at Coatbridge.
Changes are afoot just across the West Coast Main Line from the EuroTerminal. There are plans to develop new warehousing facilities convenient for rail – plus 775 metre-long sidings able to accommodate the longest Channel Tunnel freight trains.