Commercial traffic on canals/inland waterways

[eastwestdivide]

Anyone interested in this, even in passing? Bit of a niche, as there's not much commercial traffic on UK canals, but as they often run close to rail routes, perhaps there are some people taking photos etc.
For starters, here's Humber Barges' Fusedale H on the Sheffield and South Yorks Navigation at Rotherham today, possibly carrying something in big bags (which were on the dockside next to it).


All that modernisation of locks and widening carried out in the 1970s, and there's very little barge traffic on this waterway. I've seen occasional oil products to Rotherham, although not recently.

 

[CarltonA]

There's been a flow of gravel on the Grand Union fairly recently in the Uxbridge area I believe. And some movements connected to the HS2 viaduct works near Denham.

There's also a few fuel boats plying the system with gas cylinders, coal and firewood being delivered to boaters.

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

Manchester Ship Canal still sees some commercial traffic at the western end - chemicals, oil, cement and general cargo.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Wasn't there some commercial cargo shipping on the lower (downstream) section of the River Trent a few years ago? If rivers count, that is.

 

[eastwestdivide]

Wasn't there some commercial cargo shipping on the lower (downstream) section of the River Trent a few years ago? If rivers count, that is.

Certainly to the wharves near Althorpe/Gunness/Flixborough.
vesselfinder.com currently shows a couple of ships at Flixborough, although they're seagoing cargo ships rather than inland waterway barges.

 

[CarltonA]

Wasn't there some commercial cargo shipping on the lower (downstream) section of the River Trent a few years ago? If rivers count, that is.

Absolutely, some very large (by comparison to the narrow canals) vessels move on the lower Trent and onto the Humber estuary. Goole has a dockyard and it's a fair distance inland.

 

[Haywain]

Absolutely, some very large (by comparison to the narrow canals) vessels move on the lower Trent and onto the Humber estuary. Goole has a dockyard and it's a fair distance inland.

Goole, however, is on the Ouse rather than the Trent.

 

[The North Briton]

There is a barge called “Off-Roader” which makes regular trips between the aggregates berth in Hull’s Albert Dock and Goole and further up the Aire & Calder Navigation. According to AIS, it’s even been as far down as Grimsby recently.

 

[billh]

At least one of the Directors of Humber Barges Ltd is a retired railwayman. He has campaigned tirelessly for the return of commercial traffic to the larger waterways of Yorkshire and has had some success in this. I remember him involved with carrying on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal in the early 1970s.
In regards to the Manchester Ship Canal, the Western end from Eastham to Runcorn including Ellesmere Port and Stanlow oil dock is usually quite busy. Sometimes a procession of ships can be seen when the tide makes a level at Eastham. Some smaller vessels still visit Irlam and Irwell Park near Manchester.

 

[MP33]

In the film, The Bargee. Which starred Harry H Corbett and Ronnie Barker as cousins, who ran a commercial narrow boat on the Grand Union Canal. There is mention of, when it was made in the 1960s, that British Waterways had given the remaining commercial operators a warning. That they were to pay their way, or be removed as subsidies would no longer be provided.

 

[jfollows]

Manchester Ship Canal still sees some commercial traffic at the western end - chemicals, oil, cement and general cargo.

To Irlam and Port Salford as well, https://www.facebook.com/groups/manchestercanal/posts/8139628986161117/ has pictures.

Sadly, the Mersey Ferry cruise is now just a day out-and-back from Liverpool to Latchford. It used to go to Manchester on Saturday and return to Liverpool on Sunday, with a bus service to return passengers to their origin on the same day. I guess that the cost of operating the locks factors into this; I did it twice in the past from Manchester to Liverpool.

 

[Tazi Hupefi]

To Irlam and Port Salford as well, https://www.facebook.com/groups/manchestercanal/posts/8139628986161117/ has pictures.

Sadly, the Mersey Ferry cruise is now just a day out-and-back from Liverpool to Latchford. It used to go to Manchester on Saturday and return to Liverpool on Sunday, with a bus service to return passengers to their origin on the same day. I guess that the cost of operating the locks factors into this; I did it twice in the past from Manchester to Liverpool.

I believe the canal is no longer navigable for some boats nearer the Manchester end because it is no longer dredged.

Mersey Ferries also lost some sort of agreement for the berth at Salford.

 

[jfollows]

I believe the canal is no longer navigable for some boats nearer the Manchester end because it is no longer dredged.

Mersey Ferries also lost some sort of agreement for the berth at Salford.

Interesting, thank you.

 

[Ashley Hill]

Exeter Ship Canal had commercial traffic until 1998.

 

[Welly]

Does Sutton Bridge in Lincolnshire still have sea going vessels docking there? Reached from the Wash via River Nene.

 

[Lloyds siding]

Does Sutton Bridge in Lincolnshire still have sea going vessels docking there? Reached from the Wash via River Nene.

It seems so, but not exactly busy.

 

[AndrewE]

I believe the canal is no longer navigable for some boats nearer the Manchester end because it is no longer dredged.

Mersey Ferries also lost some sort of agreement for the berth at Salford.

When I did it "upstream" pre-covid we were stuck for ages when one of the new Manchester Docks bridges failed to open!

 

[Noddy]

Cemex did in the recent past load barges and use the River Severn between Ripple Quarry and their Ryall concrete site. I think this traffic is currently stopped but they have an application in for a new extraction licence at Ripple so if granted the traffic will resume. You can see some barges tied up at Ryall on Google Maps satellite imagery.

There is still regular commercial traffic at Sharpness docks on the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal, although I’m not sure this quite qualifies.

 

[The Ham]

Chart 22 in this link shows where most of the inland waterways cargo is carried:

Port freight annual statistics 2023: Domestic information and domestic waterborne freight

www.gov.uk

Inland waters traffic overall accounts for 5% of domestic waterborne freight traffic measured by goods moved. This traffic can be carried by barges or seagoing vessels on inland waterways. Chart 22 is a map of the navigable waterways alongside tonnage moved. The Thames handled the most domestic traffic in the UK, accounting for over half (60%) of all goods moved by inland waterway in 2023 (PORT0705). In terms of goods lifted, the River Thames handled 23.6 million tonnes of freight, 53% of all total traffic on UK waterways (PORT0704), just 1% less than in 2022.

Note the 2024 data isn't available yet.

 

[PeterC]

There is still regular commercial traffic at Sharpness docks on the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal, although I’m not sure this quite qualifies.

I think that the last regular traffic beyond the docks ceased in 1998 with the closure of the Quedgeley oil terminal.

 

[Noddy]

I think that the last regular traffic beyond the docks ceased in 1998 with the closure of the Quedgeley oil terminal.

Yeah, there’s nothing past the docks. The docks themselves are part of the canal and the inland waterway network rather than the sea/estuary so depends on whether the OP finds it acceptable!

Regarding previous comment about Cemex Ryall -it does look like they are still using barges on the River Severn. They have another quarry (sand and gravel pit) to the north of Ryall which is the extraction point before the material is shipped down to Ryall. I imagine it’s quite an interesting little operation they’ve got going on. Certainly more friendly on the neighbours than transporting everything out by road.

 

[eastwestdivide]

depends on whether the OP finds it acceptable!

It's all of interest!

 

[renegademaster]

The Norfolk broads has a Ice Cream boat serving boaters, mabye multiple but I only seen it once

 

[Noddy]

It's all of interest!

 

[stuu]

Does Sutton Bridge in Lincolnshire still have sea going vessels docking there? Reached from the Wash via River Nene.

Wisbech is still a commercial port, there's a couple of ships there today

 

[Haywain]

Does Sutton Bridge in Lincolnshire still have sea going vessels docking there? Reached from the Wash via River Nene.

Boston and King's Lynn also have traffic through the Wash.

 

[birchesgreen]

There is (or used to be anyway) a waterbus that travels about the canals in central Brum, i always enjoy seeing the bus stop signs for it!

 

[eastwestdivide]

There is (or used to be anyway) a waterbus that travels about the canals in central Brum, i always enjoy seeing the bus stop signs for it!

Is there still one in Bristol?

 

[WestCountry]

Definitely of interest to me.

The NE waterways are the busiest they've been in a long time at the moment.

The most consistent traffic for several years has been Exol Lubricants' tanker 'Exol Pride' working from Hull to Rotherham.

Casper River & Canal Transport have been investing heavily in their fleet and wharves to gain traffic, with the first couple of regular flows starting this year:

'Off-Roader' is carrying aggregate from Hull/Goole up to a newly opened wharf at Stourton just below Leeds.
Fusedale H (Humber Barges on Casper's behalf) is carrying bagged cement from Kingsferry Wharf up to Rotherham and, as a trial, scrap metal as a back load.

Casper have recently bought out Branford's fleet of three similar barges (Farndale H, Fossdale H and Humber Renown) which will hopefully enter traffic to Stourton if there's enough demand.

Another new flow recently is gravel from Birkwood quarry to a cement plant at Fleet Lane above Lemonroyd Lock, operated by Deans Marine Services' 300-tonner 'George Dyson'.

 

[eastwestdivide]

Thanks for that roundup. Fusedale H in Rotherham was a new one for me. I’ve not noticed Exol Pride there for ages, but that could just be luck as to when I go that way.