COAL is once again to be delivered to Castle Cement in Clitheroe by train.

It will be the first time since the switch to lorries 30 years ago that coal has arrived at the Ribblesdale plant by rail.

Coal used to be taken from Hapton Valley Colliery and other local mines, but the trials will now involve transporting coal from the north east and Scotland.

Once trials are under way, the company will make a decision on a possible longer term arrangement.

The trials, which could start on Monday, will involve one or two trains a week handling up to 2,000 tonnes of coal - the equivalent of 80 lorry loads.

The trains will arrive at Ribblesdale during the day and will be operated by Loadhaul - soon to become English, Welsh and Scottish Railway.

The company already handles coal deliveries to Castle's two other British works at Ketton in Lincolnshire and Padeswood in North Wales. The rail siding at Ribblesdale has been kept in good repair and only minor work has been needed to bring it back into use.

Railtrack is checking the condition of the branch line from the main line.

Peter Parkes, clinker manager at the works, stressed that coal deliveries were a trial and that there was no immediate commitment to resume the use of rail transport on a longer term basis.

He said: "We are obviously keen to ensure that rail importation would be both efficient and viable and it is for Loadhaul to prove that to us.

"Although the company used trains to transport other materials from the works, it is thought to be almost 30 years since coal was brought in on trains."

The company abandoned the use of rail transport altogether in 1993 when British Rail increased its rail freight charges by up to 10 per cent.

The Ribble Valley Rail Users' Group are delighted with the news.

A spokesman said: "This can only be good news for the passenger service.

"If we had not pushed for the re-opening of the passenger line then it would have been much harder and more costly to use the line as a freight link.

"As it is, the line is all but up and running right to the factory and this will help to spread the load of cost for the passenger services."

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