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Aberdeen Waterloo branch works

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Marty82

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Track works on the freight branch from Kittybrewster to Waterloo in Aberdeen have begun. Does anyone know how well used the branch is? What sort of freight is generally carried? It ends at the "Waterloo Multi-Modal Terminal" which appears to be operated by Aberdeen Harbour rather than Network Rail or a freight company. How does the ownership of this branch work between Network Rail and Aberdeen Harbour?

https://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/fp/news/local/work-starts-on-aberdeens-freight-rail-line/
Network Rail is renewing tracks on the Hanover–Waterloo line until December 8.

The route might not be well-known to travellers as the line does not carry any passengers.

It is a stretch of freight railway that links Waterloo Quay into the rail network before branching off from the passenger railway at Kittybrewster.

The line runs through a number of Granite City neighbourhoods including the Beach Boulevard, King Street, Mounthooly and Kittybrewster....
Google Maps shows just one line at the terminal, the rest seems to be a yard for road transport. Will any of this change with the upgrade as one line seems rather poor.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/57°08'48.8"N+2°05'09.5"W/@57.1468839,-2.0881607,496m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m14!1m7!3m6!1s0x4884054c1fd77549:0xe8bb05da5cf4c472!2sAberdeen!3b1!8m2!3d57.149717!4d-2.094278!3m5!1s0x0:0x0!7e2!8m2!3d57.1468814!4d-2.0859724

I assume most freight will come to/from the south of Aberdeen so do Waterloo freight trains have to reverse at Kittybrewster?
 
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swaldman

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I don't think there's a lot of freight going in/out of Aberdeen port (and in any case, this only accesses a little bit of the port). And it's, at a guess, less than a mile from where it joins the main line... so one track seems reasonable? The main line that it joins is only single track in any case!

Yes, freight from the south must have to reverse (unless routed via Inverness, but that would seem like a strange decision for multiple reasons)

-Somebody who doesn't know much about rail freight, but does live in Aberdeen :)
 

Marty82

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I don't think there's a lot of freight going in/out of Aberdeen port (and in any case, this only accesses a little bit of the port). And it's, at a guess, less than a mile from where it joins the main line... so one track seems reasonable? The main line that it joins is only single track in any case!

Yes, freight from the south must have to reverse (unless routed via Inverness, but that would seem like a strange decision for multiple reasons)

-Somebody who doesn't know much about rail freight, but does live in Aberdeen :)

I'm also somebody who doesn't know much about rail freight, but does live in Aberdeen. :D

I've never seen or heard a train on the branch but I don't live close to it.

As to the one line, I didn't properly explain. I meant one line/platform (I don't know the term in a freight terminal) at the terminal for loading/unloading.
 

37 418

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I have seen mud oil trains on the branch (usually Class 66 hauled) and I believe that is the only traffic that uses it, to and from Mossend.
 

swaldman

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As to the one line, I didn't properly explain. I meant one line/platform (I don't know the term in a freight terminal) at the terminal for loading/unloading.

Ah, sorry! I reckon I can see two tracks in Google Earth - the one that the train is sitting on, and one immediately to the west. Also a third siding a bit further north.
 

Highlandspring

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I have seen mud oil trains on the branch (usually Class 66 hauled) and I believe that is the only traffic that uses it, to and from Mossend.
The mud oil (drilling fluid) traffic stopped six or seven years ago. The tanks in the trains you’ve seen are conveying calcium carbonate between Aberdeen and Workington for Omya UK. The trains are operated by DB Cargo and typically run up to three times a week on a Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Trains for Waterloo to/from the Aberdeen direction run round at Kittybrewster, where a loop is provided away from the Aberdeen - Inverness main line. The track renewal on the branch is down to poor asset condition, it is Network Rail infrastructure down to the boundary at the quay. The Aberdeen Harbour owned sidings were built at great expense around a decade ago but haven’t seen commercial traffic since the GBRf operated drilling fluid traffic stopped running.
 

Marty82

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I lived in Jute street in the mid-90s and I had assumed that the line was closed until one morning I had a rather rude awakening by the sound of a class 20 - I think it was the weedkilling train.

There are a few photographs of the branch here, the most recent of which are dated March 2018:

https://www.railscot.co.uk/locations/A/Aberdeen_Waterloo/slideshow.html

Thanks for that. Looking at the photos there are now more tracks set into the concrete for loading/unloading.
 

Marty82

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I have seen mud oil trains on the branch (usually Class 66 hauled) and I believe that is the only traffic that uses it, to and from Mossend.

If it is so lightly used I'm wondering what the upgrade is for?
 

Marty82

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Ah, sorry! I reckon I can see two tracks in Google Earth - the one that the train is sitting on, and one immediately to the west. Also a third siding a bit further north.

Ah yeah - the ones outside the terminal. I think there are now lines built into the concrete in the terminal.
 

Highlandspring

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If it is so lightly used I'm wondering what the upgrade is for?
It’s not really an ‘upgrade’ as such, just a like-for-like renewal to replace knackered old track with shiny new components. The branch does carry a few thousand tons every week...
 

JohnRegular

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Trains do run on the branch maybe a few times a week at most, but it's far from well used. Track is in poor nick and the cuttings are quite overgrown.

There's no room (or need) to squeeze a second track in, I can't imagine traffic ever increasing to a point where one could be justified! Indeed it might be justified to tear up the tracks and convert it into a cycleway, especially seeing as the junction faces the 'wrong' way.

I probably sound very negative about the branch, but it's really just too quiet to justify its existence. Suppose it's best they renew it now while the Aberdeen-Dyce doubling is ongoing.
 

37 418

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The mud oil (drilling fluid) traffic stopped six or seven years ago. The tanks in the trains you’ve seen are conveying calcium carbonate between Aberdeen and Workington for Omya UK. The trains are operated by DB Cargo and typically run up to three times a week on a Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Trains for Waterloo to/from the Aberdeen direction run round at Kittybrewster, where a loop is provided away from the Aberdeen - Inverness main line. The track renewal on the branch is down to poor asset condition, it is Network Rail infrastructure down to the boundary at the quay. The Aberdeen Harbour owned sidings were built at great expense around a decade ago but haven’t seen commercial traffic since the GBRf operated drilling fluid traffic stopped running.
Ah, come t think of it that was a few years ago, I didn't realise it was that long o_O
 

Jordan Adam

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Note: I live on the line.

Work seems to be running from around 23:00 to 5:00 (ish)

Trains do run on the branch maybe a few times a week at most, but it's far from well used. Track is in poor nick and the cuttings are quite overgrown.

There's no room (or need) to squeeze a second track in, I can't imagine traffic ever increasing to a point where one could be justified! Indeed it might be justified to tear up the tracks and convert it into a cycleway, especially seeing as the junction faces the 'wrong' way.

I probably sound very negative about the branch, but it's really just too quiet to justify its existence. Suppose it's best they renew it now while the Aberdeen-Dyce doubling is ongoing.

The cuttings are not too bad they get trimmed down normally in the autumn, they've been much better at keeping on top of this in recent years

Getting rid of the line would just make traffic in the city even worse, there is no need or demand for it to be converted to a cycleway as it's too short and for most people it goes to/from nowhere. It's one of those cases where there's no real benefit to getting rid of it.

The mud oil (drilling fluid) traffic stopped six or seven years ago. The tanks in the trains you’ve seen are conveying calcium carbonate between Aberdeen and Workington for Omya UK. The trains are operated by DB Cargo and typically run up to three times a week on a Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Trains for Waterloo to/from the Aberdeen direction run round at Kittybrewster, where a loop is provided away from the Aberdeen - Inverness main line. The track renewal on the branch is down to poor asset condition, it is Network Rail infrastructure down to the boundary at the quay. The Aberdeen Harbour owned sidings were built at great expense around a decade ago but haven’t seen commercial traffic since the GBRf operated drilling fluid traffic stopped running.

The layout at the loop has just been changed, so the train can switch round without blocking the main passenger lines. The trains only run as required and can vary quite significantly in length, but typically it's around 7 tanks. The Wesnesday run is the most frequently operated, followed by the Saturday run, I'd actually say i've seen the service run more on Mondays and Thursdays than i have Fridays.
On that note i saw a 66 go down with Tanks yesterday.
 
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