Aviation fuel to run by rail from Isle of Grain?

[BRX]

On a trip to the Isle of Grain at the weekend I noticed a planning notice attached to a lamp post relation to a "rail loading facility" for aviation fuel, at BP's site, next to Thamesport.

Looking it up on the planning database I see that permission was granted for this a couple of months ago. If the details in the application are to believe it seems there's an intention to run a train approximately once a day from the site, possibly increasing thereafter. Where it would be heading to I don't know; perhaps someone reading this can tell me.

Some extracts from the D&A statement:

3. THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT

3.1 The proposal is to provide enhanced supply capacity and security, by the installation of rail loading facilities. Rail deliveries were undertaken from the site up until the 1980s and, as noted above, the rail tracks and connection to the rail network remain.

3.2 The new loading facility will be designed to meet the high quality standards applicable to the supply of aviation fuel, best practice for operational safety and BP Oil UK Ltd’s design and operating standards.

3.3 Fuel will be supplied from the existing storage tanks and suction pipework to new rail loading pumps located adjacent to the existing transfer/loading pumps. A new filtration facility dedicated to rail loading will be installed.

3.4 New rail loading sidings will be built in the area of the existing disused sidings. A total of 15 loading arms will be installed, with the ability to load trains from two sidings, either side of the arms. The loading platform area will be covered by a continuous roof to provide weather protection for the stations and personnel.

3.5 In addition to the main loading arms, facilities will be provided on the sidings for taking of fuel samples and occasional complete draining of railcars. All samples will be collected in a new semi buried product recovery tank (PRT) and pumped out automatically to the site’s existing slops tanks.

3.6 As well as the two sidings for fuel loading, two sidings will be provided for standing of empty railcars and a fifth siding for locomotive fuelling and railcar maintenance.

3.7 The site will be operated in accordance with BP Oil UK Ltd’s highest standards of operation with particular focus on aviation fuel quality and Health, Safety, Security and the Environment (HSSE).

3.8 The initial operation will use a single train of 20 railcars, which is expected to load approximately once per day.

3.9 The design basis of fuel loading is that the trains will be on site for a minimum turnaround of 5 hours to allow for shunting, fuel loading, quality and safety checks, in preparation for departure. The loading operation will include necessary checks that the railcars are empty and suitable for loading, connecting the hoses and loading the fuel, disconnecting the loading hoses, connecting/disconnecting the sample hose and taking a loaded railcar sample. Up to 10 railcars will be loading at any one time, each at a maximum controlled rate of 100 m3/hr.

3.10 Approximately one year after commencement of operation it is planned to bring an additional train of 20 railcars into operation. Normally at least one train will be in transit. There is capacity at the site for one train to be parked whilst the other is loading.

Will be interesting to follow this and see if anything comes of it. It would be good to see a new flow running to Grain, following the decline of the container terminal (discussed on a separate thread)

 

[fergusjbend]

The generally optimistic forecasts of increased freight flows from Grain (and Sheerness) - steel, oil and automotive - clash with the recently published DfT consultation document on the future of the Southeastern franchise. The latter suggests that lines between London and Kent are effectively saturated, so how will additional paths be found for freight between Hoo Junction and the South London Line?

Discuss, writing on each side of the paper.

 

[BRX]

Saturated 24 hrs a day or saturated at peak commuter travel times?

 

[TheEdge]

Saturated 24 hrs a day or saturated at peak commuter travel times?

Quite, thousands of tonnes of aviation fuel won't complain departing at 0217. The driver might but he'll still drive it!

 

[HSTEd]

In other words - its all fallout for the misguided privatisation of the aviation fuel pipeline supply system.

Hail the meerkat!

 

[tsr]

Although Southeastern do not run much in the way of trains which you could reasonably deem "overnight", many of their routes start service pre-0500, and any disruption around this time can cause quite unfortunate impacts to the morning peak, as you can imagine.

As a result, the quoted 5 hour turnaround time would likely impact on either late-night passenger services (although it's off my patch... I suspect not too badly, with the right allowances and timings) or early morning ones. If we were looking at minimising risk to passenger trains (which I accept is not quite the "be all and end all" when also looking at engineering work hours etc.) then I'd suggest that a late-evening arrival and departure in the small hours of the morning might be best.

Nonetheless, the poster above identifies an important point: although passenger numbers and satisfaction derived from turn-up-and-go service do rely on it being provided for most of the day, therefore meaning paths could be heavily used, maybe there could be scope to balance demand in the middle of off-peak daytime hours, if the proposed plant proves successful and needs more train movements (eg. freight in at mid-afternoon -> 5 hours -> out mid-evening ; in late evening -> 5 hours -> out very early morning). Peak times around SE England will inevitably result in the network getting closer to saturation, as well as contra-peak-flow workings causing difficulties at the "shoulder peaks".

Idle speculation without having all the figures to hand!

 

[rebmcr]

The simple explanation could be that the NR report takes into account already-protected freight paths.

 

[BRX]

The simple explanation could be that the NR report takes into account already-protected freight paths.

There are loads of protected freight paths between the Chunnel and Wembley that aren't used at the moment. But they are not necessarily available to traffic from Grain.

Of course there used to be quite a few paths from Thamesport through south London, which are no longer used. Whether they are effectively still there and protected I don't know.

 

[fergusjbend]

Yup, I realise that most freight can be moved by night, and that there are protected paths. However, the question is 'for how long?'

The Southeastern review published last week suggests that Grayling intends to introduce vertical integration to the franchise. If the TOC also controls the rails, things could get tricky for the FOCs.

 

[Dave242]

In other words - its all fallout for the misguided privatisation of the aviation fuel pipeline supply system.

Hail the meerkat!

How do you work that one out?

Dave

 

[gsnedders]

When was aviation fuel last run across the UK rail network?

 

[Shaw S Hunter]

When was aviation fuel last run across the UK rail network?

Grangemouth refinery still sends out aviation fuel by rail. There is a regular flow (approx weekly) to Sinfin to supply the Rolls-Royce Aero Engines factory. And there certainly used to be a flow from Grangemouth to Prestwick. This was routed via Hamilton, presumably for pathing reasons to avoid a multi-track crossing move between Rutherglen and Polmadie.

 

[najaB]

When was aviation fuel last run across the UK rail network?

RAF Leuchars used to receive fuel by rail up until a couple of years ago. A little birdie told me that the Army wanted to revive the system but the RAF did a poor job shutting it down and it's unusable now.

 

[Freightmaster]

...And there certainly used to be a flow from Grangemouth to Prestwick.

Still runs twice a week (56-hauled, too! )

The other major flow of aviation fuel of course is Lindsey to Colnbrook,
for Heathrow airport.


MARK

 

[BRX]

Aviation fuel ran by rail from Grain up until around the 80s, and mainly to Salfords for Gatwick airport, as far as I can see. Found this photo

https://www.flickr.com/photos/tigertim1950/3533556440

 

[gsnedders]

RAF Leuchars used to receive fuel by rail up until a couple of years ago. A little birdie told me that the Army wanted to revive the system but the RAF did a poor job shutting it down and it's unusable now.

That stopped over two decades ago, I'm relatively certain. The level crossing over Station Road and the lines within the base were lifted a long time ago (maybe ~15 years ago). The oldest street view view available (2009) shows no level crossing and no line beyond the MoD boundary fence. My memory is definitely of the level crossing going around 2000, give or take a few years, so it must have ceased by then. (The track across the road actually survived a while longer until the road was resurfaced, but the track in the base had been lifted at the same time as the level crossing dismantled as far as I can recall.)

 

[gsnedders]

That stopped over two decades ago, I'm relatively certain. The level crossing over Station Road and the lines within the base were lifted a long time ago (maybe ~15 years ago). The oldest street view view available (2009) shows no level crossing and no line beyond the MoD boundary fence. My memory is definitely of the level crossing going around 2000, give or take a few years, so it must have ceased by then. (The track across the road actually survived a while longer until the road was resurfaced, but the track in the base had been lifted at the same time as the level crossing dismantled as far as I can recall.)

And this is where it crosses Main St (track still surviving, seemingly!), again with nothing on either side beyond the boundary fence.

 

[Clip]

Although Southeastern do not run much in the way of trains which you could reasonably deem "overnight", many of their routes start service pre-0500, and any disruption around this time can cause quite unfortunate impacts to the morning peak, as you can imagine.

As a result, the quoted 5 hour turnaround time would likely impact on either late-night passenger services (although it's off my patch... I suspect not too badly, with the right allowances and timings) or early morning ones. If we were looking at minimising risk to passenger trains (which I accept is not quite the "be all and end all" when also looking at engineering work hours etc.) then I'd suggest that a late-evening arrival and departure in the small hours of the morning might be best.

Nonetheless, the poster above identifies an important point: although passenger numbers and satisfaction derived from turn-up-and-go service do rely on it being provided for most of the day, therefore meaning paths could be heavily used, maybe there could be scope to balance demand in the middle of off-peak daytime hours, if the proposed plant proves successful and needs more train movements (eg. freight in at mid-afternoon -> 5 hours -> out mid-evening ; in late evening -> 5 hours -> out very early morning). Peak times around SE England will inevitably result in the network getting closer to saturation, as well as contra-peak-flow workings causing difficulties at the "shoulder peaks".

Idle speculation without having all the figures to hand!

Most of the traffic of a night time is in the down direction so its perfectly possibly to path some trains going the other way I would imagine as there is space for them

 

[najaB]

That stopped over two decades ago, I'm relatively certain.

Direct rail deliveries to Leuchars did, yes. However the fuel depot at St Fort was rail served up until shortly before the RAF moved out.

 

[Freightmaster]

...the fuel depot at St Fort...

'Linkswood' in railway parlance.



MARK

 

[R4_GRN]

Direct rail deliveries to Leuchars did, yes. However the he fuel depot at St Fort was rail served up until shortly before the RAF moved out.

Yes it went through an underground pipe from the fuel farm at the five ways roundabout to Leuchars.

 

[gsnedders]

Direct rail deliveries to Leuchars did, yes. However the he fuel depot at St Fort was rail served up until shortly before the RAF moved out.

Oh, I'd totally forgotten about that having a railway link to it. Shows how often I make it north of Leuchars.

 

[NKsignaller]

I'm a North Kent Signaller that controls Hoo and the single line to Grain.
I can confirm these trains will be running, the schedules are in from May.
As for capacity it will be interesting as the freight traffic at night is very busy already Tuesday night I had 3 trains down to Grain and they left Grain coming back up at 0130, 0230 and 0252. Also there were trains in and out of Cliffe all night so on a single line it was a bit congested lol.
I will recheck the schedules but I think the empty aviation fuel trains will run down during the day and come up loaded at night.

 

[BRX]

I'm a North Kent Signaller that controls Hoo and the single line to Grain.
I can confirm these trains will be running, the schedules are in from May.
As for capacity it will be interesting as the freight traffic at night is very busy already Tuesday night I had 3 trains down to Grain and they left Grain coming back up at 0130, 0230 and 0252. Also there were trains in and out of Cliffe all night so on a single line it was a bit congested lol.
I will recheck the schedules but I think the empty aviation fuel trains will run down during the day and come up loaded at night.

Thanks - do you know where they will be running to/from?

 

[BRX]

Actually I see the paths on rtt.

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/sea...17/06/01/0100-0059?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt

Colnbrook for Heathrow by the looks of it.

 

[nottinghamcity]

I seem to remember that the Lindsey OR - Kingsbury trains carry fuel which finds its way to BHX. I may also be wrong though because i don't know why I think that!

 

[BRX]

Any news on when/if this is going to start running?

Noticing the paths between Colnbrook and Grain popping up on RTT each day now, although they are all cancelled.

 

[greenhithe]

Any news on when/if this is going to start running?

Noticing the paths between Colnbrook and Grain popping up on RTT each day now, although they are all cancelled.

i have been looking out for this service did it ever run i dont think so

 

[4973]

Any news on when/if this is going to start running?

Noticing the paths between Colnbrook and Grain popping up on RTT each day now, although they are all cancelled.

They are not just cancelled - they have been deleted. It's a different transaction, but what it means I have no idea.

 

[Freightmaster]

They are not just cancelled - they have been deleted.

Deleted?? hock:

I've just had a quick look at RTT and they are all there:

http://realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced/GRAINBP/2017/06/08/0000-2359?stp=WVSC

Trains cancelled in advance ('planned cancellation') won't show up
on an RTT search with the default parameters, but they certainly
haven't been deleted!



MARK