"This contract emphasises UPM-Kymmenes commitment to rail in the UK," said UPM-Kymmene logistics development manager Jim Jack.

The contract includes the combined transportation of 25,000 tonnes of newsprint from Shotton Paper in Deeside to Caledonian Paper at Irvine in Ayrshire every year, and the movement of 30,000 tonnes of magazine paper from Caledonian to Shotton.

Some 50,000 tonnes of magazine paper will also be moved annually from the Irvine site to Daventry.

Jack said the move was a strategic response aimed at delivering environmental and customer service goals.

"We are confident that volumes will continue to increase throughout the contract," he said.
The five-year deal will see EWS transport over 500,000 tonnes of paper by rail for the Finnish paper manufacturer.

EWS and UPM-Kymmene have been working together for over two years.

EWS is one of the UKs largest freight operators, moving over 100m tonnes of freight per annum, and running over 7,000 trains per week.

Story by Andy Scott