Is the Cwm Bargoed coal train the last in the UK?

[railfan99]

I was watching a 'Flying Scotsman' YouTuber's efforts that also showed train 6C83 operating through Cardiff with loco 66181 and a 20 wagon train.

It looked like the wagons were covered, presumably to stop coal dust wrecking Mrs Brown's washing. That's good, but not something typically occurring in my country.

Wiki (not always correct!) suggests that this mine was to close in April 2023. Unless the coalie is being supplied from a stockpile, did the shutdown occur?

Is this the last remaining coal train in the UK?

Is this coal suitable for UK's large fleet of steam locos? Historically, Welsh coal was highly regarded if my reading of history books has been accurate.

 

[Freightmaster]

Is this the last remaining coal train in the UK?

No - there is a regular flow of imported coal from Immingham to Ratcliffe power station
near Nottingham and another flow from Immingham to Earles sidings (the railhead for
a cement works in the Peak District)



MARK

 

[5562]

No - there is a regular flow of imported coal from Immingham to Ratcliffe power station
near Nottingham and another flow from Immingham to Earles sidings (the railhead for
a cement works in the Peak District)



MARK

Earle’s also usually gets a Saturday coal delivery from Cymbargoed.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

No - there is a regular flow of imported coal from Immingham to Ratcliffe power station
near Nottingham and another flow from Immingham to Earles sidings (the railhead for
a cement works in the Peak District)
MARK

Do other cement works still get deliveries of coal by rail?
Thinking of Penyffordd and Clitheroe.
It's hard to tell on RTT.

 

[Freightmaster]

Earle’s also usually gets a Saturday coal delivery from Cumbargoed.

That traffic has finished now I'm afraid - replaced by the new Immingham flow.

Do other cement works still get deliveries of coal by rail?
Thinking of Penyffordd and Clitheroe.
It's hard to tell on RTT.

Not at the moment, but I've heard rumours that a train from Redcar to Oxwellmains may start later in the year!




MARK

 

[ChiefPlanner]

The product from Cwmbargoed needs to be screened to remove the slack (dust) for loco use. It has been used for such in the past.

Academic anyway , as the days of opencast mining are numbered. (it should have been closed by now !)

 

[Signal_Box]

There’s a Margam (GB) to Cwmbargoed (FL) train in the system recently any ideas of its a new flow ? It doesn’t seem to run yet though.

 

[class 9]

There's still coal from Immingham to Scunthorpe steel works.

 

[Dr Hoo]

There's still coal from Immingham to Scunthorpe steel works.

I thought that the remaining coke ovens were closing around 'now'.

 

[class 9]

I thought that the remaining coke ovens were closing around 'now'.

Yes, they are closing, not sure when though, 1 coal train ran yesterday, when they do close, then coke will need to be imported, so maybe a replacement for railfreight

 

[wallan]

That traffic has finished now I'm afraid - replaced by the new Immingham flow.



Not at the moment, but I've heard rumours that a train from Redcar to Oxwellmains may start later in the year!




MARK

0120 Tees Yard - Oxwellmains ran this Morning

 

[40C]

Some coal is still going from Immingham to Ratcliffe, which ran two units yesterday. Also, an AppFrod preservation volunteer has told me that Scunthorpe coke ovens shut down this week.

 

[wallan]

0120 Tees Yard - Oxwellmains ran this Morning

2nd Service this morning , scheduled 37 MEA,s , arrived 24 Early

 

[Techniquest]

I saw the coal train through Cardiff Queen Street yesterday, it was great to see HTAs in motion again 66172 is the star of the attached photo, if I'd realised it was coming I'd have positioned myself for a better photo!

 

[Envoy]

The Open Cast site on the east side of Merthyr has been given notice to close down - in July I think. So, these trains won’t be running for much longer. Wonder where Port Talbot steelworks will get its coal from?

 

[Western 52]

The Open Cast site on the east side of Merthyr has been given notice to close down - in July I think. So, these trains won’t be running for much longer. Wonder where Port Talbot steelworks will get its coal from?

Import probably. They have suitable docks.

 

[Towers]

What’s the reason these places are all closing? The Green regime presumably?

 

[56xx]

AFIK the Cwm Bargoed coal trains at the moment are the last carrying coal mined in the UK for use in the UK.
It is a real shame that despite there being millions of tonnes of coal readily available to be mined at the Ffos Y Fran site and all the infrastructure being in place to process and transport it the short distance to where it is currently needed that short term planning and eco restraints mean that millions of tonnes will have to be imported from the other side of the world.

 

[75A]

Unbelievable isn't it.
We've literally got tons of the stuff but we import it from the other side of the world, how much pollution does that produce?

 

[stantheman]

Amazingly 66013 worked coal from Tees to Oxwellmains Dunbar today in MEA wagons …thought these had all gone . I understand it was a trial and I can’t ever recall Oxwellmains receiving coal before ?

 

[railfan99]

I am almost as geographically remote as possible from you ladies and gents, so we only get brief reports in media that don't sufficiently cover detail, but our national paper 'The Australian' is reporting this online this morning (Friday 16 June) - does this have any positive implications for rail freight?:

UK keeps coal fired up despite climate goals​

The operator of Britain’s electricity grid intends to keep at least one coal-fired power station in operation this winter, despite working to phase out the fossil fuel.
The government plans to eliminate coal in the UK’s power mix by the end of 2024, ahead of its target of achieving “net zero” on carbon emissions by 2050.
But supply shocks linked to Russia’s war in Ukraine have forced the retention of older fuels for the time being, and this week operators started burning coal for the first time in six weeks.
“We expect one of the five (coal) units to be commercially available in the market,” the National Grid’s Electricity System Operator said in a report previewing winter demand.
But it added that fossil power plants, wind farms and other generation methods were expected to provide more than enough power to meet demand, after fears of blackouts last winter.

 

[snowball]

If the proposed Woodhouse Colliery, Whitehaven, goes ahead, there will be trains carrying the coking coal it produces, either to UK steelworks or for export.

High Court agrees to hear Cumbria coal mine legal challenges

Cases will now be heard at what’s known as a ‘rolled up’ hearing

www.thebusinessdesk.com

Protesters against plans to open a new coal mine in Cumbria have welcomed a ruling by a High Court judge for two legal challenges to proceed to a three-day hearing.

It follows the Government’s decision to grant planning permission for the West Cumbria Mining (WCM) scheme.

Friends of the Earth and South Lakes Action on Climate Change (SLACC) launched legal challenges to the decision.

In a court order sent to both claimants, the judge said that, instead of convening a hearing for the parties to request permission to proceed to a full trial, which was due to take place on Tuesday, May 23, their cases will now be heard at what’s known as a ‘rolled up’ hearing.

In practice this is the same as a trial. It will last for three days and is likely to take place in the summer or autumn.

 

[Envoy]

If the proposed Woodhouse Colliery, Whitehaven, goes ahead, there will be trains carrying the coking coal it produces, either to UK steelworks or for export.

High Court agrees to hear Cumbria coal mine legal challenges

Cases will now be heard at what’s known as a ‘rolled up’ hearing

www.thebusinessdesk.com

It’s a long way to transport coal by rail from Whitehaven to Port Talbot. Presumably they would use ships? It must be much cheaper to extract coal from the Open Cast site east of Merthyr but the downside is dust blowing to residential areas.

 

[railfan99]

It’s a long way to transport coal by rail from Whitehaven to Port Talbot. Presumably they would use ships? It must be much cheaper to extract coal from the Open Cast site east of Merthyr but the downside is dust blowing to residential areas.

What maximum gross tonnage (loaded) do you expect they'd be?

Are they limited to 600 metres due to the length of crossing loops (and sidings)? If not, what length might they become at maximum?

 

[marty56110]

Amazingly 66013 worked coal from Tees to Oxwellmains Dunbar today in MEA wagons …thought these had all gone . I understand it was a trial and I can’t ever recall Oxwellmains receiving coal before ?

66013 took the train in on Tuesday with 66035 working yesterday.
That is correct, two trains trial for coal imported via Redcar which currently goes via road.