DB Cargo UK handles over 36 million tonnes of aggregates per year. To maintain this service, DB Cargo UK operates a large fleet of Liebherr material handlers, with a batch of seven new LH 40 models arriving at a selection of depots in the past few months.
One of the latest arrivals, an LH 40 C, has been put to work at the company’s Cricklewood depot in North London. The 151-hectare site opened in 2020 and was designed to be the UK’s first ‘net zero’ rail freight terminal.
Among its features are a large green acoustic barrier o minimise the impact of noise and dust on nearby homes, and to provide a haven for birds and other wildlife. On-site machinery is fuelled by Hydro-treated Vegetable Oil (HVO) instead of white diesel, reducing CO2 emissions by 98% per litre. The new Liebherr material handlers are also HVO-compatible.
The depot is permitted to handle 500,000 tonnes of material annually and in recent years it has regularly done so. This volume is made up of both incoming aggregates and the export of inert soils to landfill.
One of the UK’s leading aggregate suppliers, Whatley Quarry in Somerset, sends over half of its output via the rail network, reducing congestion, cost and carbon impact.
With the LH 40, the whole process of unloading close to 1,000 tonnes of aggregates takes just over two hours in total and removes over fifty 8-wheelers off the roads from Somerset to London. Additionally, the LH 40 is economical to run, using just over 13 litres of fuel per hour – up to 20% less than previous models. The modern handlers improve uptime, and are expected to run at almost full capacity, with 85–90% use across DB Cargo UK’s depots.
The new arrival at Cricklewood, the LH 40 C crawler handler, has been specified with Liebherr’s quick-coupler system, enabling fast attachment changeover from the comfort and safety of the cab.
The crawler LH 40 machines have been delivered on Liebherr’s EW undercarriage which gives the machine an overall width of 4.4m on its 600mm wide pads. The long track frames allow almost 5.5m of track to be in contact with the ground, giving the machine a very stable working platform.
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