Enfinium swaps lorries for trains at Ferrybridge. Find out how many journeys, tonnes and kilos of carbon a six-month rail trial saved.
Key Takeaways
- Enfinium trialled rail freight to supply Ferrybridge 1 with unrecyclable waste from October 2025 to March 2026.
- 30 train movements delivered over 18,000 tonnes of waste, replacing more than 750 lorry journeys.
- The trial avoided over 125,000 kg of carbon emissions.
- Offloading times more than halved by the trial’s end.
- Run with Suez, Heavy Haul Rail, Hargreaves and Elite Cranes; Enfinium will explore further rail use.
Enfinium has completed a six-month trial using rail freight to deliver unrecyclable waste to its Ferrybridge 1 Energy-from-Waste facility. This approach cut road transport and reduced carbon emissions. The trial ran from October 2025 to March 2026. It marked the first time Enfinium has used rail infrastructure to supply fuel directly to one of its facilities.
Trial Results
Over the six months, 30 train movements delivered more than 18,000 tonnes of unrecyclable waste to Ferrybridge 1 for processing. This removed more than 750 lorry journeys from the road network and avoided over 125,000 kg of carbon emissions.
By the end of the trial, the time taken to offload waste from the trains had more than halved compared with the start. This improvement came as the Ferrybridge team worked to improve the efficiency of the process.
Partners And Process
Enfinium ran the trial in collaboration with Suez, Heavy Haul Rail, Hargreaves Industrial Services and Elite Cranes. Together, they transported unrecyclable waste from Greater Manchester to Ferrybridge 1.
Trains were unloaded overnight by the Ferrybridge operations team. They used the site’s overhead cranes to lift containers directly from the rail wagons. Afterwards, the waste was transferred to the facility’s bunker, where it was processed and converted into energy.
Next Steps
Following the trial, Enfinium said it will explore further opportunities to receive waste by rail. This is part of its work to manage unrecyclable waste more sustainably by reducing carbon emissions and improving operational efficiency.
Reactions
Matt Hardy, senior commercial manager at Enfinium, credited the Ferrybridge 1 rail trial team for ensuring the safe, efficient and reliable operation of the transport solution throughout the project. He said the trial had shown how rail could serve as an alternative to road transport. This would help the sector reduce emissions, improve operational efficiency and support the development of a more resilient, low-carbon waste and energy infrastructure.
Daniel Carolan, Greater Manchester contract director at Suez, said: “We were pleased to support Enfinium’s Waste by Rail trial by supplying unrecyclable waste from the Greater Manchester region. The project highlights how collaboration and innovation can help drive more sustainable waste management solutions, reducing emissions while ensuring waste is managed efficiently and responsibly.”
Richard Mannion, head of solution design at Heavy Haul Rail, said the trial’s success demonstrated the role Britain’s rail network can play in delivering efficient, reliable and scalable freight solutions. He said using key rail routes for waste transport showed how the UK’s railway infrastructure supports industrial growth, strengthens supply chain resilience and contributes to a more sustainable transport network.
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