DB Cargo UK, the rail freight operator has announced that they will be working with Axiom Rain and WH Davies in order to convert 110 HTA coal hoppers into new state-of-the-art HRA aggregate hopper wagons. The investment that has been made into this project is an illustration of the commitment that DB Cargo UK has to the aggregates industry and the plans that the company has for growth in the business and in the sector going forward.

During the conversion process, one of the coal hopper bays is removed, which will reduce the length of the wagon by 20% of its original size. The hopper will be reduced from 17.757 meters to 14.347 meters. However, it is predicted that despite the reduction in length, the hopper’s gross weight capacity will remain the same. The former coal hoppers are expected to still be able to carry 101.6 tonnes. This will allow for more wagons to be transported per train and could then increase the payload tonnage of the train by 447 tonnes for the same length. This calculation is based on 22 HTA wagon set and a 27 HRA wagon set.

The expert conversion of these HTA coal hoppers into aggregate hoppers will be carried out at both the Axiom Rail site, which is located in Stokem and the WH Davies site in Mansfield. The conversion work is getting underway following a successful five-month trial of wagon 41 70 6723 001-7. This converted wagon is a prototype HRA wagon and managed to successfully run a full service, carrying aggregates from Peak forest to Salford Hope Street.

DB Cargo UK is fully committed to re-engineering all of the HTAs in to HRAs and it has been predicted that all 100 hoppers will be in full service by the third Quarter of 2018.