Rail Freight Flows and News UK

[Parkway]

Also on the subject of missing freight services, is anyone aware what happened to the much publicised new Immingham-Doncaster Iport service? That seemed to run for a little while in the Autumn, but now seems absent. And the Grangemouth-Aberdeen intermodal which which was a regular daily service but also seemed to stop sometime last year.

 

[Dr Hoo]

I thought that Immingham-Doncaster iPort was only intended as a temporary 'trial'/demonstrator.

 

[Freightmaster]

I thought that Immingham-Doncaster iPort was only intended as a temporary 'trial'/demonstrator.

Correct. Presumably there was insufficient interest/bookings to make it a regular working?




MARK

 

[Parkway]

Correct. Presumably there was insufficient interest/bookings to make it a regular working?




MARK

Thanks for the clarification

 

[FrodshamJnct]

I've noticed 6D60 along my local line this morning, a GBRf working from Edge Hill Tuebrook to Penmaenmawr Quarry, with the return working 6K22 later this afternoon. Is this going to become a regular working or is it just a one off?

 

[Dr Hoo]

I've noticed 6D60 along my local line this morning, a GBRf working from Edge Hill Tuebrook to Penmaenmawr Quarry, with the return working 6K22 later this afternoon. Is this going to become a regular working or is it just a one off?

This has been announced in various media as a regular flow, probably once per week although not necessarily always to Tuebrook.

The Prime Minister went to visit the reactivated loading facility at Penmaenmawr and this was on TV.

 

[FrodshamJnct]

This has been announced in various media as a regular flow, probably once per week although not necessarily always to Tuebrook.

The Prime Minister went to visit the reactivated loading facility at Penmaenmawr and this was on TV.

Interesting, thanks.

 

[ExRes]

Is anyone aware of what Appleford Sidings are used for? todays RTT shows the first run of 6Z21 Wiilesden to Appleford as loaded and 6N01 return as empties

 

[Adrian Barr]

At Appleford there is FCC Environment's Sutton Courtenay landfill site, which takes constuction spoil from London (in box wagons) and ash from Drax (in tank containers).

There is also a Hanson aggregates depot for trainloads of stone, normally from Whatley in the past but also now from Tytherington - some of it is probably for HS2 at the moment.

I would guess loads from Willesden would either be HS2 spoil or possibly a stone working that has been staged at Willesden, I'm not really up to date on the latest workings.

 

[The Planner]

Should be HS2 spoil.

 

[ExRes]

At Appleford there is FCC Environment's Sutton Courtenay landfill site, which takes constuction spoil from London (in box wagons) and ash from Drax (in tank containers).

There is also a Hanson aggregates depot for trainloads of stone, normally from Whatley in the past but also now from Tytherington - some of it is probably for HS2 at the moment.

I would guess loads from Willesden would either be HS2 spoil or possibly a stone working that has been staged at Willesden, I'm not really up to date on the latest workings.

Should be HS2 spoil.

Thanks to you both, I wondered if it was the recycled ballast load from yesterdays Westbury run but wasn't sure if Appleford was used as a provider or user


And as an update, a couple of pictures on Flickr tonight showing 6Z21 with soil in the wagons a la The Planner

 

[stantheman]

Possible short term dash to coal in the world ...whether or not it happens ..which PS can still receive coal by rail

 

[Bob figgis]

Possible short term dash to coal in the world ...whether or not it happens ..which PS can still receive coal by rail

I believe West Burton, Ratcliffe and Drax are all still currently receiving coal by rail.

 

[muddythefish]

Did anyone see this? Timber traffic returns to Herefordshire area after 18 years

Freight trains return to Herefordshire business after 18 years

A HEREFORDSHIRE firm has been involved in a successful trial to transport timber by railway – the first time a delivery by rail has been made in…

www.herefordtimes.com

 

[61058]

I believe West Burton, Ratcliffe and Drax are all still currently receiving coal by rail.

Ratcliffe has 5/6 paths a day from Immingham at the moment of which up to 4 normally run.
I don't think West Burton is on line at the moment .It doesn't seem to have had any coal
paths activated lately.
Drax I'm not sure about as it's not local to me.

 

[Freightmaster]

I believe West Burton, Ratcliffe and Drax are all still currently receiving coal by rail.

As others have said, of the three, only Ratcliffe is receiving deliveries by rail.

As far as I am aware, West Burton power station is still open, as is Drax (for biomass),
but the remaining coal fired units at Drax were 'stood down' a couple of years ago...





MARK

 

[61058]

As others have said, of the three, only Ratcliffe is receiving deliveries by rail.

As far as I am aware, West Burton power station is still open, as is Drax (for biomass),
but the remaining coal fired units at Drax were 'stood down' a couple of years ago...





MARK

I don't think West Burton is operational at the moment as I am in Lincoln &
can see it across the valley. It doesn't actually look to be generating at the
moment.I assume it's just on stand by.With the price of gas shooting up
it may soon be cheaper to burn imported coal !

 

[55002]

I don't think West Burton is operational at the moment as I am in Lincoln &
can see it across the valley. It doesn't actually look to be generating at the
moment.I assume it's just on stand by.With the price of gas shooting up
it may soon be cheaper to burn imported coal !

May soon be cheaper to burn five pound notes. Hahaha

 

[ExRes]

No idea if it's a new flow or just a short term one, DCR schedules currently in place for Wednesday to Friday, Willesden - Machen Quarry - Oxford Banbury Road Sdgs - Machen Quarry - Oxford Banbury Road Sdgs - Willesden

 

[Malaxa]

The weekly Tarmac Freightliner aggregate flow out of Tilbury docks came yesterday, for I think the first time, from the new Tilbury2 terminal. The path to Radlett had been listed for the best part of a year.

Realtime Trains | 640J 2314 Tilbury2 Container Tml Fl to Radlett Redland Roadstone | 08/03/2022

Real-time train running information for 640J 2314 departure from Tilbury2 Container Tml Fl to Radlett Redland Roadstone on 08/03/2022. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Tarmac to open UK’s largest aggregates terminal | Agg-Net

www.agg-net.com

Is this in addition to or a replacement for the Tilbury port service to and from Tarmac Hayes? Perhaps someone can clarify.

The S. Walsh Tilbury operation only started up in 2021.

Twenty year deal will see new aggregates plant created at Port of Tilbury

A MAJOR new contract has been signed at the Port of Tilbury which will include the creation of a new multimillion pound processing plant to wash and grade aggregate brought from Cornwall for supply to customers across the South East.

thurrock.nub.news

Projects - S.Walsh & Sons

www.swalsh.com

A recent episode of Ashville Weekly showed the process of recycling sea-borne china clay waste from associated Cornish GRS company Maen Karne without any rail content.

 

[5562]

I noticed today that DB Cargo ran a lunchtime empty load from Ashburys to Dowlow via the old LNWR route between Stockport and Buxton, as well as the usual weekday evening diagram. I can't recall seeing a lunchtime run previously, although there is a Saturday path that has been run recently. Is the weekday lunchtime run likely to be more regular.
Also, why is the old LNWR route not used more frequently for the stone traffic out of the Buxton quarries. Is it a case of pathing through Stockport or down to the more severe gradients between Buxton and Whaley Bridge.

 

[Geeves]

You would imagine with the still reduced passenger traffic it makes sense to run via the Western line for route knowledge if nothing else. I saw it passing over the road at Buxworth/Bugsworth and made a fine sight! I've seen photos and videos of the loaded trains climbing up from Buxton to Dove Holes with three 37s on and still barely moving. I don't know how capable a loaded 66 would be.

 

[furnessvale]

I noticed today that DB Cargo ran a lunchtime empty load from Ashburys to Dowlow via the old LNWR route between Stockport and Buxton, as well as the usual weekday evening diagram. I can't recall seeing a lunchtime run previously, although there is a Saturday path that has been run recently. Is the weekday lunchtime run likely to be more regular.
Also, why is the old LNWR route not used more frequently for the stone traffic out of the Buxton quarries. Is it a case of pathing through Stockport or down to the more severe gradients between Buxton and Whaley Bridge.

Two answers.

Firstly, the second, lunchtime, path has been in regular use for at least two weeks now. I don't know if it is additional business at the ashburys depot, but I seem to recall reading somewhere that work coming up soon, at or near this depot, may block access for at least several days. In which case, they may be building up a stockpile.

Secondly, over and above the gradient issue leaving Buxton, and the problem that trains using this line are delivered to Stockport often facing the wrong way for onward movement, there is a very weak bridge in Whaley Bridge which NR have been trying to replace for several years. The local authorities have been blocking all attempts to do this on the grounds that they do not want additional freight through their village "we have our road bypass so the rest of you can go hang".

No doubt, one day this bridge will fail, and if it doesn't deposit a train in the road below, it will at least stop all passenger trains for several months while they rebuild it. Thanks, Whaley Bridge Parish Council, High Peak Borough Council and Derbyshire County Council.

 

[5562]

Two answers.

Firstly, the second, lunchtime, path has been in regular use for at least two weeks now. I don't know if it is additional business at the ashburys depot, but I seem to recall reading somewhere that work coming up soon, at or near this depot, may block access for at least several days. In which case, they may be building up a stockpile.

Secondly, over and above the gradient issue leaving Buxton, and the problem that trains using this line are delivered to Stockport often facing the wrong way for onward movement, there is a very weak bridge in Whaley Bridge which NR have been trying to replace for several years. The local authorities have been blocking all attempts to do this on the grounds that they do not want additional freight through their village "we have our road bypass so the rest of you can go hang".

No doubt, one day this bridge will fail, and if it doesn't deposit a train in the road below, it will at least stop all passenger trains for several months while they rebuild it. Thanks, Whaley Bridge Parish Council, High Peak Borough Council and Derbyshire County Council.

Thanks for clarifying. Hopefully the lunchtime path will continue as it would be good to see a 66 slogging up the 1in58.
I didn’t realise there was another weak bridge in Whaley after the town centre one was replaced the other year.

 

[furnessvale]

Thanks for clarifying. Hopefully the lunchtime path will continue as it would be good to see a 66 slogging up the 1in58.
I didn’t realise there was another weak bridge in Whaley after the town centre one was replaced the other year.

The small bridge by the station was a minor problem. The big one is the main road bridge. The councils have rejected several designs.

I have written to the councils telling them if they keep rejecting perfectly good plans they could end up with a warren girder bridge like the one installed at Brinnington which they only got away with because it was next to a council estate so it didn't matter!

 

[BRX]

Does anyone know the current status of the Scunthorpe steel trains that run via the Channel Tunnel? This used to be a quite reliable daily working but I've not seen it run for some time now - is it essentially dead?

 

[Freightmaster]

Does anyone know the current status of the Scunthorpe steel trains that run via the Channel Tunnel? This used to be a quite reliable daily working but I've not seen it run for some time now - is it essentially dead?

Ceased operation in January due to a change in sourcing by the French plant.





MARK

 

[Copper_Owl]

Have been looking around on Google for a while know, but couldn't get a clear answer on whether there are any intermodal trains running through the Channel Tunnel left as of today. I read that a French domestic service from Perpignan was recently extended to Ashbourne, but I'm not sure if that fully counts as an international train. Does anyone have more on this topic? From what I understand a lot of people had high hopes about intermodal traffic when the tunnel first opened, but these plans never really materialized (?).

 

[BRX]

Have been looking around on Google for a while know, but couldn't get a clear answer on whether there are any intermodal trains running through the Channel Tunnel left as of today. I read that a French domestic service from Perpignan was recently extended to Ashbourne, but I'm not sure if that fully counts as an international train. Does anyone have more on this topic? From what I understand a lot of people had high hopes about intermodal traffic when the tunnel first opened, but these plans never really materialized (?).

At present there's basically no true intermodal traffic through the tunnel, sadly.
Most recently (3 or 4 years back?) there was an attempt to get something running between London gateway and Duisburg but it only ran for a couple of months before being abandoned. I live in hope that something might happen some day.

 

[furnessvale]

At present there's basically no true intermodal traffic through the tunnel, sadly.
Most recently (3 or 4 years back?) there was an attempt to get something running between London gateway and Duisburg but it only ran for a couple of months before being abandoned. I live in hope that something might happen some day.

Sadly, it is still more expensive to send a container through the tunnel as a railfreight load, than to send the same load as an HGV on a shuttle. Given that for a shuttle the tunnel has to provide a path, loco + driver, rail wagons, train and loading attendants, traction electricity etc, whereas for a railfreight train all they have to provide is a path and traction electricity, this seems to be predatory pricing.

The Tunnel has no incentive to change things as every unused railfreight path is then available for an additional shuttle train in its place. It is long past the time this was addressed by government.



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