Network Rail is opening the gates of its Whitemoor Yard depot in March this Sunday, giving local people the chance to find out more about the new National Track Materials Recycling Centre – which has put the Cambridgeshire town at the heart of the railway’s green revolution.
The open day on Sunday 14th August has been organised to thank the people of March for their support during development and construction of the new recycling centre and to give them a chance to find out more about what goes on at the historic Whitemoor site.
Dave Millar, Network Rail project manager, said:
“March has always been a railway town and in the nine years that I’ve worked at Whitemoor, I’ve been amazed and impressed by the level of support we’ve had from the local community.
“The new national recycling centre has put March at the heart of our efforts to make the railway greener, cleaner and more sustainable. I’d urge anyone with an interest in March’s history – and its future – to come along to Whitemoor to find out more about what we do.
“There’ll be plenty for all the family to see and do, including railway history exhibitions, engineering trains and face-painting and rides for the kids. Entry is free and everyone is welcome.”
Network Rail’s National Track Materials Recycling Centre at Whitemoor Yard opened for business in June, bringing 25 new jobs to the area.
The centre will help save hundreds of thousands of tonnes of materials going to landfill every year, remove thousands of lorry journeys from the roads and help cut the cost of Britain’s railways.
Once fully operational, the NTMRC is expected to deliver £7m of savings to Network Rail each year. It will also help Network Rail achieve its goal to reuse, recycle or recover 95% of construction and maintenance waste by 2014.
The opening of the NTMRC marks the second phase in the redevelopment of Whitemoor Yard depot, which reopened in 2004 after a £20m investment programme by Network Rail which created 40 new jobs for the town.
More than 3,500 people joined Network Rail to celebrate the reopening of the yard in May 2004.
