Class 365s - Possible use as freight trains by Varamis.

[Dr Hoo]

Well this sort of thing would be much more practical if we had a standard multiple working system, like most rolling stock in America does.
Then a "parcel/freight" EMU would just be coupled to any convenient passenger working.

But just a pipe dream in our industry, as it is.

Bearing in mind the constraints of things like platform lengths and dwell times (along with the implied mixing of 'goods' loading and passengers on today's busy stations) I struggle to imagine "any convenient passenger working". These seem to be far more intractable issues than driver training.

 

[HSTEd]

Bearing in mind the constraints of things like platform lengths and dwell times (along with the implied mixing of 'goods' loading and passengers on today's busy stations) I struggle to imagine "any convenient passenger working". These seem to be far more intractable issues than driver training.

If we take the example of King's Cross to somewhere like Edinburgh or something (not suggesting an actual flow, just as an example). Does platform length actually matter except at the termini?

Most intermediate stations have trains stop on the running line anyway these days. Only relatively few stations have actual platform loops of limited length.

Also the thing about EMUs is they wouldn't need to unload on the passenger station.

The freight unit would just detach and run to wherever it was supposed to go.

 

[Dr Hoo]

If we take the example of King's Cross to somewhere like Edinburgh or something (not suggesting an actual flow, just as an example). Does platform length actually matter except at the termini?

Most intermediate stations have trains stop on the running line anyway these days. Only relatively few stations have actual platform loops of limited length.

Also the thing about EMUs is they wouldn't need to unload on the passenger station.

The freight unit would just detach and run to wherever it was supposed to go.

Right, so a hypothetical King's Cross-Edinburgh 10-car Azuma can't have an additional 'parcels unit' attached from King's Cross because it would stand across the throat. But a unit might be attached en route. I struggle to think where.

Then the platforms at Edinburgh are too short so the parcels unit would have to detach intermediately at (say) Berwick, presumably before running on separately to a depot at Millerhill (for the sake of argument).

I am still really struggling to see this as "any convenient passenger working".

 

[HSTEd]

Right, so a hypothetical King's Cross-Edinburgh 10-car Azuma can't have an additional 'parcels unit' attached from King's Cross because it would stand across the throat. But a unit might be attached en route. I struggle to think where.

Then the platforms at Edinburgh are too short so the parcels unit would have to detach intermediately at (say) Berwick, presumably before running on separately to a depot at Millerhill (for the sake of argument).

I am still really struggling to see this as "any convenient passenger working".

There is always the apparent freight yard on the west side of the ECML at Hornsey.

You still save a lot of crewing compared to a separate path through.

 

[Grumpy]

Obtaining/building distribution warehouses (like Amazon)with good access to the motorway network isn't particularly difficult if you can fund it. Finding some old EMU's that might be adaptable to carry parcels may not be difficult.
The difficult trick will be to provide a warehousing/distribution building that can provide quick loading/unloading from an adjacent electrified railway line whilst also giving easy access to the Motorways. When you exclude land adjacent to line in cuttings, embankments, green belt, zoned for other uses (eg housing), already developed, unlikely to get planning permission for various reasons (eg noise, adverse effect on local roads) there's not much available.
And then if you manage that comes the shock of dealing with Network Rail.