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New Swindon Rail Terminal to cut congestion and carbon emissions

A new rail terminal that will help to tackle local congestion and substantially reduce carbon dioxide emissions was opened by Transport Minister Andrew Adonis today.

Trains from the Keypoint Swindon rail terminal will transport around 23,000 vehicles each year from the Honda factory to the Channel Tunnel, meaning almost 3,000 fewer transporters on the roads. This will not only help to reduce congestion on key local routes, it will also cut local CO2 emissions.

Andrew Adonis said:

"Transporting 23,000 vehicles each year by rail to continental Europe will ensure almost 3,000 trucks are taken off Swindon's roads - cutting congestion and carbon emissions on local roads.

"The amount of freight transported by rail has grown by more than 60% since the mid-1990s, which is a tremendous achievement, but we are determined to do more. That is why the Government has announced the most significant rail freight funding for decades - including around £200 million for the development of a strategic rail freight network.

"Honda's commitment to transporting Swindon built Civics and CR-Vs by rail, using the new Keypoint Swindon terminal, is to be commended and I hope that this will increase in the future. I also urge other local companies to follow suit."

The new terminal will allow Honda to export cars from their Swindon plant to their European logistics centre in Gent, Belgium. The terminal links directly to the Honda facility, and has been developed jointly between Honda and Kilbride Group. Vehicle logistics company STVA operates the movement service for Honda.

Up to two trains a week will run from the terminal, with each train carrying over 200 cars. Carrying the equivalent number of cars on the road would require 30 HGVs and substantially reducing CO2 emissions.

Last summer's 'Delivering a Sustainable Railway' White Paper set out plans for carrying 30% more freight on the network by 2014/15, including the development of a £200 million Strategic Freight Network. In 2007 the Department for Transport also announced that £150 million will be dedicated to improving rail freight infrastructure, including wider gauge clearance to enable larger wagons, capable of carrying more freight, to run on the network.

* In 2006-07 rail freight services in Great Britain moved the equivalent of 5.18 million lorry journeys worth of goods

* 'Delivering a Sustainable Railway' White Paper is available here: http://www.dft.gov.uk/about/strategy/whitepapers/whitepapercm7176/

* Honda (UK) already transports cars to Newcastle and Scotland by rail (via Bristol)

* Trains leaving the new rail head in Swindon will carry mostly 5-door and 3-door hatchback Civic models on double-decks

* Up to 243 cars can be transported with each train service

* One road truck can transport eight cars

* One train service could effectively take 30 trucks off the road

* Each train leaves Swindon at approximately 4pm and arrives at Gent, Belgium at 7am the next morning

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