A NEW rail facility opened at Tarmac's Aberthaw Cement plant will reduce the number of trucks using the road each year.

As a pledge to support the sustainable deliver of materials, to cut transport CO2 and improve the environment, the company will remove 2,500 trucks a year from the roads with trains being used instead.

The opening of the facility means that bulk cement, which was previously transported by road, will now be loaded onto freight trains and dispatched via rail to the company’s depots across Wales and the south west of the UK.

Aberthaw Cement Plant manager, Chris Bradbury, said: “The rail facility at Aberthaw signifies a major step for us. Reducing our road movements by 25 per cent is a significant achievement and it puts us in an even better position to supply materials to our customers across Wales and the south west in a more sustainable way.

“The plant has been in operation for more than 100 years and we employ 109 people, the majority of whom live within ten miles of the site, so this development demonstrates our commitment to the Vale of Glamorgan.”

The news was welcomed by Vale AM Jane Hutt, who officially opened the facility.

She said: “It’s great to see this show of confidence by Tarmac in its Aberthaw operations which will positively impact the environment – both locally and further afield.

“Investing in infrastructure is key to supporting economic growth and it is hoped that more people locally will benefit from Tarmac’s support.”

Aberthaw Cement Plant is the only cement works in south Wales.

For more information on Aberthaw Cement Plant visit tarmac.com/aberthaw-plant