EDDIE Stobart Ltd is one of two major haulage companies allocated more than £3 million of funding by the Scottish Government to provide two new freight services from the Central Belt to Inverness.

The new service follows the Daventry to Grangemouth Tesco traffic launched in 2006 with help from the Scottish Government.

As part of the new allocation, Eddie Stobart Ltd will receive up to £982,000 of funding from two grant schemes to transport Tesco goods between Grangemouth and Inverness. The award includes £525,000 of Freight Facilities Grant funding (FFG) to buy 70 curtain-sided inter-modal units plus £457,000 from the Rail Environmental Benefit Procurement Scheme (REPS) to aid running costs.

John G Russell has been awarded up to £2.1 million in two separate funding allocations for a new Coatbridge to Inverness rail freight service.

The funding package includes a £1.84 million FFG towards the capital costs of terminal works in Inverness and the purchase of intermodal containers.

The company will also receive £257,975 of REPS funding to help the running costs of the new service.

Speaking at the opening of Tesco’s new distribution centre in Livingston, Scottish transport minister Stewart Stevenson said: “Many of us have experienced congestion on roads such as the A9. These grant awards will help free up traffic flow on the A9 and reduce emissions.

“This funding will remove 3.17 million lorry miles from Scotland’s roads a year and deliver £6.3 million in environmental benefits over the next five years.

“Projects such as this make an important contribution towards achieving our target of reducing Scottish emissions by 80 per cent by 2050.

“This target is twice as ambitious as the UK target and signals Scotland’s serious intent to lead the global effort to combat climate change.”

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