Ipswich West Bank public realm and freight branch

[sloaneesq]

Interesting article in the EADT about Ipswich's refurbished 'West Bank' open space still being closed to the public a year after completion and how this is due to the freight branch that runs through it.

https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/west-bank-new-cut-west-open-space-still-closed-by-abp-1-6472571

From my understanding it's rare to get a live line run through an openly accessible public area, but is there precedent in the UK?

I've experienced being on the train and as a pedestrian in Wexford Harbour where the Rosslare to Dublin train frequently runs through the middle of the waterfront. It's slow, but doesn't seem to cause any unnecessary danger.

 

[AndyW33]

Well of course there are trams in London, the West Midlands, Nottingham, Sheffield, Manchester, Blackpool, and Edinburgh that run through openly accessible public areas without significant carnage.
In the past trains accessing some dock areas in Liverpool, Weymouth, Southampton and many many other ports ran along the public road, rather than just across it, and of course there were trams all over the place.

 

[sloaneesq]

True. I was wondering what rules made it different for heavy rail than light. It's odd that they say railings are required.

 

[edwin_m]

True. I was wondering what rules made it different for heavy rail than light. It's odd that they say railings are required.

Trams are run on line of sight so will always be able to stop short of an obstruction. They are also designed to minimize danger to pedestrians and vehicles in the event of a collision.

Trains don't have these design features. Although shunting operations should similarly be on line of sight the driver doesn't necessary have a good view, particularly if propelling wagons, which would normally need someone walking ahead of the train and it contact with the driver by radio. There is also the risk of "train surfing" and of people being snagged by protruding bits of a wagon.

Historically this did happen a lot in dock areas, but the people present would be aware of the hazard. There were also some public streets with trains, most famously and recently the Weymouth tramway, but safety standards when that was established were lower than today's. So there are obvious risks of running shunting operations through an area where children may be present and even adults may not be aware of the dangers.

 

[sloaneesq]

Thanks Edwin. That's really informative.

I suspect this is all held up by money and planning consent.

 

[TrafficEng]

From my understanding it's rare to get a live line run through an openly accessible public area, but is there precedent in the UK?

I don't know the full details of the scheme, but if it is the section of track I'm thinking of then it has been there and fully accessible to the public for decades. If you look at any of the streetview images from 2009 to 2015 it can be seen it all its glory, with nothing but a few signs to warn people of the danger. In fact the images from September 2010 clearly show children playing (fishing?) perilously close to the railway, although they are probably at greater risk of falling into the river than being run over by trains.

I suspect it is a case that having been fenced off during the flood barrier construction works - and with the possibility of more visitors than previously - someone has done the safety audit and realised there are risks involved in having people wandering around near moving things.

Not that I don't think safety issues are important. For me the issue is that if the press reports are accurate then why has it taken so long to identify the risk and come up with a (simple) method to mitigate it?

 

[eastdyke]

Interesting article in the EADT about Ipswich's refurbished 'West Bank' open space still being closed to the public a year after completion and how this is due to the freight branch that runs through it.
https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/west-bank-new-cut-west-open-space-still-closed-by-abp-1-6472571
From my understanding it's rare to get a live line run through an openly accessible public area, but is there precedent in the UK?
I've experienced being on the train and as a pedestrian in Wexford Harbour where the Rosslare to Dublin train frequently runs through the middle of the waterfront. It's slow, but doesn't seem to cause any unnecessary danger.

It is unfortunate that plans have been made, construction completed but use frustrated in any Publicly Funded project. Must have been a failure at the consultation and planning stages.
Ipswich Dock area was once surrounded by miles of Tramway, largely disused by the early 1960s.
We have an old thread here but this mostly refers to the 'Wet Dock' area.
https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/disused-freight-branch-in-ipswich.157705/
I am unable to quickly offer alternative sources but from Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ipswich_Waterfront#1700-1950

The dock was 'improved' in 1805 and then in 1837 an Act of Parliament allowed the Ipswich Dock Commissioners to construct a new wet dock whilst also placing certain conditions on them. Edward Caley was chief engineer, at the age of 20.[15][16] In addition to building the wet dock and providing a diversion for the river Orwell along a 'New Cut' to the west of the dock the commissioners were to allow all persons, with cattle and carriages, may thereby have free access to the dock and quays and the sides of the said new cut and channel and also to contribute to the health and recreation of the inhabitants [of Ipswich].

The West Bank lies adjacent to the New Cut and is rail served from the GEML at Halifax Junction.

In the 1950s we generally had free access all areas on the docksides.
I don't know when the rights enshrined in the 1837 Act were lost, the Wikipedia article lists further legislation - I don't have time to look!
On the other hand the current owners, ABP, may just be trying to 'do the right thing' on the fly.

Edited to add: Wikipedia link.

 

[sloaneesq]

I'm old enough (just!) to remember trains running along the paved areas on both sides of the docks, now Ipswich Waterfront.

I think the New Cut side has always been a little ignored as it was on the less developed side of the docks. Since there has been a lot of residential development, the flood defence scheme and more press about Ed Sheeran's fondness for the adjacent Steamboat Tavern it has become a lot more popular.

Edit: grammar

 

[TrafficEng]

I think the New Cut side has always been a little ignored as it was on the less developed side of the docks. Since there has been a lot of residential development, the flood defence scheme and a more press about Ed Sheeran's fondness for the adjacent Steamboat Tavern it has become a lot more popular.

Much of the area was occupied by the Ransomes and Rapier works, as well as maltings. It wasn't really somewhere to go unless you had business there (such as watching trains or the construction of draglines).

Its worth noting that Ransomes and Rapier were once a major manufacturer of railway equipment* and this line was the connection from the works onto the GEML. Interesting to think these tracks once conveyed railway equipment heading to diverse places around the world. A lot of it still in use, although the company is long gone.

(*For example, unless they have been replaced since my last visit, the buffers at London Waterloo proudly display the 'Ransomes and Rapier' name.)

 

[eastdyke]

Much of the area was occupied by the Ransomes and Rapier works, as well as maltings. It wasn't really somewhere to go unless you had business there (such as watching trains or the construction of draglines).

Its worth noting that Ransomes and Rapier were once a major manufacturer of railway equipment* and this line was the connection from the works onto the GEML. Interesting to think these tracks once conveyed railway equipment heading to diverse places around the world. A lot of it still in use, although the company is long gone.

(*For example, unless they have been replaced since my last visit, the buffers at London Waterloo proudly display the 'Ransomes and Rapier' name.)

There always was public access to the area between Waterside Works and the river ['New Cut'] from the roads down from the adjacent streets and New Cut West (the road).
This can all be seen on the OS 25 inch map, published 1927 (hosted on National Library of Scotland website)
https://maps.nls.uk/view/114502318
Just zoom in!
I am not sure of the exact areas which are the subject of the ongoing contretemps, am no longer a resident of the Town
On a historical note, yes all that Railway stuff made there in Ipswich, I well remember pointing out the Ransomes & Rapier makers plate on the Bletchley MPD turntable to my school cohorts in 1958. I did have a visit to the works in the mid 60s but by then decline had set in and it was mostly non-rail crane and draglines by then.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

I'm old enough (just!) to remember trains running along the paved areas on both sides of the docks, now Ipswich Waterfront.

I think the New Cut side has always been a little ignored as it was on the less developed side of the docks. Since there has been a lot of residential development, the flood defence scheme and more press about Ed Sheeran's fondness for the adjacent Steamboat Tavern it has become a lot more popular.

Edit: grammar

For my sins , I was "Port Agent" Ipswich for Freightliner around 1981 (a "starter" job at Supevisor grade - but you got the full uniform !) - the "West Bank" branch then extended to Ransomes and Rapiers and a very rareload of steel plates in SPA wagons would appear - which was dropped off in the "exchange" sidings , and moved a few yards down the rickety track past the "Steamboat" by a buffer fitted tractor manned by staff from the Lower Yard.

The FLL traffic was a mere 5 set a day to Stratford (in theory - see later) , powered by 08661 usually with a mandatory air braked b - van for propelling , I think labelled "return to Immingham" , the main traffic was Geest North Sea Line , Seawheel and International Ferry Freight Freight. All European flows - The connection into the "new" container berth was not that old , and had been installed for wagon load traffic.

Now 1980 - 81 was very volatile port wise -there were strikes at Southampton and elsewhere , so masses of traffic appeared. The throughput went up drastically and up to 20 FLL wagons a day could be handled - sometimes with a class 31 nicked off the yard , with complex and enjoyable shunting to up and down the branch to the "disused" loco sidings - sometimes with a 31 in the middle of a 25 wagon rake. Worked stupid days and weekends and had no life , but made a fortune in overtime at "D" supervisor rates. We of course had a few derailments on the dodgy track.

We then had the temporary terminal at the Lower Yard , which increased the workload badly - so the day 14 hour day ended with "signing" off and preparing the 2030 departure for Trafford Park. (this was traffic roaded to Felixstowe in advance of the new rail line to the Walton Terminal. Luckily some more resources were added in to help out - but there was sufficient slack in the BR resources then to manage all this extra work.

I thankfully moved onto Felxstowe , for another year or so , just as the traffic there went ballistic.

The immediate "urban realm" around the West Bank was then pretty run down. I must go back for a look around to see this transformation.

 

[sloaneesq]

@ChiefPlanner I love this. Thank you!

 

[ChiefPlanner]

@ChiefPlanner I love this. Thank you!

It was about the time that the Orwell Bridge was being constructed , so there was a decent flow of reinforcing steel into the Lower Yard for this , - there was precious little other traffic into there at the time. There were odd wagonload moves of "scrap" into the Cliff Quay area for export to Africa on ships that looked not a bit dissimilar to the scrap.

Ever keen to get more traffic , we loaded a 5 set of IFF containers (top loading 30 ft bulk boxes - the empties being placed on an empty set) , at what was then Paul & Sanders a few times - the trains went to Sandy as a special working and once to Poplar Dock. The P+S maltings could stink the area out at certain times.

Another odd loading was to send a 5 set to Lowestoft (again a set of preloaded bulk boxes) - which were loaded with bulk sawdust for Coatbridge ( for packing whisky bottles we were told)

After the steel strike there were major flows of Welsh coils to Germany via West Bank - ex Llanwern , Margam and once Ebbw Vale. Seawheel container flats , - very heavy loads with only 2 per 60 ft wagon. My expertise in load handling and checking were hugely improved from a very low level in this job. Very hard work in all sorts of weather.

The local rail staff , and in particular the recently "passed on" Assistant Area Manager were incredibly helpful in all respects.