Rail Freight Flows and News UK

[Adrian Barr]

A new flow began yesterday [Thu 24/07] between Horton-in-Ribblesdale and Brindle Heath Eurofreight. A terminal that was never commissioned years ago?

That's an interesting development. Looking in the 2005 Trackmaps book for the Midland, there are separate arrival and departure lines shown connecting the loop on the down side at Agecroft (which is itself known as Brindle Heath Arrival & Departure Line) to a "proposed" freight terminal. The same connections are still in the current book, showing the white circles that normally means disconnected / out of use, but I don't think they were ever connected to anything until recently!

A report on the Network Rail website (originally done by Railtrack in 1999) relating to progress on schemes by Railtrack listed in the 1998 Network Management statement, mentions the following:

Agecroft freight terminal. The scheme to make the new Agecroft Freight Terminal operational was completed in the year along with the route gauge clearance schemes.
https://www.networkrail.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/1999-annual-reconciliation-statement.pdf

The mention of gauge clearance and the "Eurofreight" name suggests it was originally intended to be an intermodal terminal serving Agecroft Enterprise Park, and this passage from the Wikipedia article on Agecroft Colliery suggests as much:

In the late 1990s, a business enterprise park opened on the colliery site. Much of the land remains unused. An international railfreight terminal was planned next to the Manchester to Bolton railway line but, though a spur line was built, the development did not materialise.

The new traffic / terminal is also discussed in this thread: New Rail Freight Connected Terminal At Agecroft North Jn Salford

Considering the Agecroft Terminal itself was never actually built (beyond the signalling and connection from Network Rail) I think it qualifies as a new terminal, which is a rarity. Tarmac are on the up side of the line at Pendleton (Agecroft asphalt and concrete plants with hopper discharge) but the new terminal on the down side appears to be associated with "A1 Sand and Gravel" seen on Google Maps within Agecroft Commerce Park. The quarry at Horton-in-Ribblesdale is owned by Heidelberg Materials (formerly Hanson), and on their website it says "A1 Services is now Heidelberg Materials Agecroft" dealing with building waste and also "the supply of primary and recycled aggregate."

Can't find any recent photos of the area, but things have certainly changed since this 1975 shot! There's some info on the location in the caption.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/actonwellsjunction/7379274334 (Photo: Barrie Watkins - Ivan Stewart Collection)

DCR 60046 worked loaded 6L82 Peak Forest D&C to Brandon Down Sidings yesterday [Thu 24/07], any ideas if this is a 'new' service or just a one off?

DCR have been running trains from Peak Forest to Brandon for a few years, although they might have been paused for a while. They were often recessed at Chaddesden rather than running direct. I think it normally used the same set as the Middleton Towers to Ravenhead sand train, allowing the wagons to be backloaded going north. For some reason 6L82 appears to have run empty, with the wagons later ending up at Kings Lynn for the Middleton Towers sand train. Possibly they were route refreshing before the flow starts back up, or maybe the loading at Peak was cancelled at short notice and 6L82 ran anyway to position the wagons for their next loaded working? That set also works the aggregate services from Tunstead to Leicester Humberstone Road.
Edit: 6L82 did in fact run loaded, despite the wagons being shown empty in TOPS! Seen here at March behind 60046: https://www.flickr.com/photos/147797206@N02/54681654443/ (Photo: Andy Smith)

Freightliner were also running into Brandon from Tunstead, but I don't think that's run since the end of April. Stone into Brandon has always been a bit sporadic, and some has been for special projects - for example work at RAF Lakenheath: https://roryjholbrook.co.uk/news/mdig-and-rjh

This December 2021 press release from Rory J Holbrook (the company who operate the railhead) talks about DC Rail bringing in "sugar stone" from Peak which is normally a seasonal traffic:

DC Rail and East Anglian road haulier Rory J Holbrook work together to bring a new bulk flow to the railways. Even though it's a foodstuff that benefits, DCRail and Holbrook are using a terminal better known for aggregates traffic.The partners collaborate to get a key raw material for sugar production - limestone - back on the rails.

By working together, the two independent bulk haulage specialists on rail and road have designed a solution that uses rail haulage from the Peak District in the north of England to Holbrook's depot at Brandon, Suffolk. From here, the material is moved by road the final few miles to the sugar production plants. … Plans will see around 6,000 tonnes per week moving by rail

https://roryjholbrook.co.uk/news/dc-rail-success

60028 loading a 6Z29 to Brandon at Peak in July 2023: https://www.flickr.com/photos/64657021@N07/53081402892/ (Photo: Stephen Stubbs)
60029 with a 6Z28 from Peak to Brandon in April 2023: https://www.flickr.com/photos/132139568@N08/52795945790/
60028 in the terminal at Brandon in June 2022: https://www.flickr.com/photos/tibshelf/52148380607/ (Photo: Keith Partlow)
56098 en route to Brandon from Chaddesden in January 2024: https://www.flickr.com/photos/121100974@N07/53497655801/ (Photo: 87027)

70002 worked the first Llan Jct to Hope Earles sidings on Saturday morning [26/07]. 6H67 ran via Crewe, Stoke, Derby and Chesterfield. From the rail freight desert of North Wales I hope it's the first of many more.

That's good to hear. I found the Freightliner press release for the Breedon contract interesting, mentioning materials to Earles from both Llandudno Junction and also Drax:

This contract, an extension of the longstanding agreement between Breedon and Freightliner, in place for over 25 years, covers the transport of cement from Hope Cement Works to distribution sites across the UK, including Dagenham, Theale, Dewsbury and Walsall. In addition to these flows, the recently renewed contract also includes the movement of Alternative Raw Materials (ARM) – delivering materials from Llandudno and Drax Power Station into the cement works.

https://www.freightliner.co.uk/news...t-and-aggregate-contracts-with-breedon-group/

Slate waste is described as a "pozzolanic additive" to cement, and fly ash from Drax to Earles was previously railed in PCA wagons by Freightliner for use as a "supplementary cementious material" - replacing a percentage of the cement used in concrete.

Interesting shot of 70015 inside Drax with PCAs in 2019: https://www.flickr.com/photos/dbs60100/49060467827/ (Photo: DBS 60100)

Although fly ash is no longer produced at Drax after the end of coal-firing there, there is still a large amount on site to be recovered from the "Barlow Mound." I think this material is currently railed down to Appleford for use in the manufacture of "Aircrete" blocks by Forterra at Newbury but there's plenty to go around!

Power Minerals are involved with extracting material from the Barlow Mound at Drax for use in cement:
https://www.eppowerminerals.com/en/...t-project-in-the-history-of-ep-power-minerals

This part of the Wikipedia article on Hope Cement Works mentions both slate waste and PFA (a.k.a. fly ash):

Hope Cement lodged an application to increase the amount of raw materials railed into the site. Part of the manufacturing process of cement uses pulverised fuel ash (PFA) a by-product of burning coal in power stations. As this industry went into a sharp decline from 2015 onwards, alternative raw materials (ARM), such as slate quarry fines, marl, fireclay etc., could be used instead. However, ARMs typically have a higher moisture content, which is driven off in the roasting part of the cement making, and thus requires a higher tonnage of material than PFA. The application requires about 250,000 tonnes (280,000 tons) to be imported into the site per year.

Link to a previous thread on the slate waste traffic for anyone interested:
https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/n-wales-slate-waste-export-by-rail.276419/

 

[Intercity_225]

Hello! I am currently writing a SimSig timetable for Doncaster and I'm wondering what flow this path (although not running) is part of?

Realtime Trains | 6M78 0425 Doncaster Down Decoy Gbrf to Ribblehead Vq Gbrf | 29/07/2025

Real-time train running information for 6M78 0425 departure from Doncaster Down Decoy Gbrf to Ribblehead Vq Gbrf on 29/07/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Thanks alot

 

[ExRes]

DCR have been running trains from Peak Forest to Brandon for a few years, although they might have been paused for a while. They were often recessed at Chaddesden rather than running direct. I think it normally used the same set as the Middleton Towers to Ravenhead sand train, allowing the wagons to be backloaded going north. For some reason 6L82 appears to have run empty, with the wagons later ending up at Kings Lynn for the Middleton Towers sand train. Possibly they were route refreshing before the flow starts back up, or maybe the loading at Peak was cancelled at short notice and 6L82 ran anyway to position the wagons for their next loaded working? That set also works the aggregate services from Tunstead to Leicester Humberstone Road.

Freightliner were also running into Brandon from Tunstead, but I don't think that's run since the end of April. Stone into Brandon has always been a bit sporadic, and some has been for special projects - for example work at RAF Lakenheath: https://roryjholbrook.co.uk/news/mdig-and-rjh

This December 2021 press release from Rory J Holbrook (the company who operate the railhead) talks about DC Rail bringing in "sugar stone" from Peak which is normally a seasonal traffic:



60028 loading a 6Z29 to Brandon at Peak in July 2023: https://www.flickr.com/photos/64657021@N07/53081402892/ (Photo: Stephen Stubbs)
60029 with a 6Z28 from Peak to Brandon in April 2023: https://www.flickr.com/photos/132139568@N08/52795945790/
60028 in the terminal at Brandon in June 2022: https://www.flickr.com/photos/tibshelf/52148380607/ (Photo: Keith Partlow)
56098 en route to Brandon from Chaddesden in January 2024: https://www.flickr.com/photos/121100974@N07/53497655801/ (Photo: 87027)

Thanks @Adrian Barr I knew it had been some time since the regular work last ran, I'd assumed either another FOC had taken it over or it had gone to road transport

Rail Record and RTT are showing as activated another DCR service for tomorrow 0345 6O83 Willesden to Angerstein Wharf - 1005 6L83 to Purfleet Foster Yeoman - 1654 6M08 to Willesden to be (theoretically) repeated on Friday

 

[geordieblue]

Unusual Tees-Kineton booked for today (following a Marchwood-Tees that arrived early this morning) - anyone know what this might be? https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:R07315/2025-07-30/detailed

 

[Freightmaster]

Unusual Tees-Kineton booked for today (following a Marchwood-Tees that arrived early this morning) - anyone know what this might be? https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:R07315/2025-07-30/detailed

MoD traffic.



MARK

 

[geordieblue]

MoD traffic.



MARK

Thought so - I can’t recall a loaded MoD train into/out of Tees before - certainly very different from the situation last year where there were no MoD workings for several months!

 

[Freightmaster]

Thought so - I can’t recall a loaded MoD train into/out of Tees before...

Ran three or four times last year - here is one which ran in February 2024:

66727 4Z09

Even this colourful train couldn`t brighten up a another dull February day part 1. Gbrf`s Maritime blue liveried 66727 "Maritime One" passes the Park & Ride site at Askham bar with 4Z09 the 09.31 Tees dock to Doncaster down decoy MOD container train 28/02/2024.

www.flickr.com

...and another in September:

2024-09-04 66733 4Z09 1406 Tees Dock to Eastleigh East Yard DONCASTER 2328

Explore KING COBRA 92's 27292 photos on Flickr!

www.flickr.com

MARK

 

[ExRes]

Thanks @Adrian Barr I knew it had been some time since the regular work last ran, I'd assumed either another FOC had taken it over or it had gone to road transport

Rail Record and RTT are showing as activated another DCR service for tomorrow 0345 6O83 Willesden to Angerstein Wharf - 1005 6L83 to Purfleet Foster Yeoman - 1654 6M08 to Willesden to be (theoretically) repeated on Friday

6O83/6L83/6M08 ran today with a load of recycled asphalt planings, according to DCR Rail Director David Fletcher "This was the first bulk rail freight flow to be awarded a Network Rail CP7 access charge discount allowing rail to compete with road. Each train removes around 40 lorries from the roads of the capital and reduces CO2 emissions by circa 2.67 tonnes"

 

[geordieblue]

Ran three or four times last year - here is one which ran in February 2024:

66727 4Z09

Even this colourful train couldn`t brighten up a another dull February day part 1. Gbrf`s Maritime blue liveried 66727 "Maritime One" passes the Park & Ride site at Askham bar with 4Z09 the 09.31 Tees dock to Doncaster down decoy MOD container train 28/02/2024.

www.flickr.com

...and another in September:

2024-09-04 66733 4Z09 1406 Tees Dock to Eastleigh East Yard DONCASTER 2328

Explore KING COBRA 92's 27292 photos on Flickr!

www.flickr.com

MARK

Cheers for the info

 

[ayubdaud]

Unusual Tees-Kineton booked for today (following a Marchwood-Tees that arrived early this morning) - anyone know what this might be? https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:R07315/2025-07-30/detailed

Curious path, it appears to go Leamington Spa to Fenny Compton and into the MoD without a stop/runround!

 

[Adrian Barr]

Thanks @Adrian Barr I knew it had been some time since the regular work last ran, I'd assumed either another FOC had taken it over or it had gone to road transport

Now you've got me wondering! One complication with figuring out the contracts is that Freightliner might have been running trains from Tunstead to Brandon because they have the contract with Tarmac at Tunstead for those trains, while DCR might have an ongoing contract with Cemex (or the receiving terminal at Brandon) for trains from Peak to Brandon which might have been dormant until Cemex started supplying stone from Peak again... hard to say.

Looking at some trains in 2024, I've got records of Freightliner running at least occasionally from Tunstead to Brandon in January, February, May, August and October (they probably ran in other months too).

Looking through your DCR locos thread, the last loaded DCR working to Brandon was a 6Z82 which left Peak on 27/06/24. Before that, they had been running roughly weekly since the beginning of 2024.

One oddity a few days before the end was DCR hiring GBRF 60096 (in Colas livery!) to work a Brandon service on 24/06/24, which the caption says started at Tunstead:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/rpb2011/53816829228/ (Photo: Robert Brooks)

With some of the Freightliner trains running on dates between the DCR services at the start of 2024, it doesn't look like there was a straightforward contract changeover for the haulier - possibly it was more to do with the supply of sugar stone switching from Peak to Tunstead (and maybe now back again).

Interestingly, this photo dating back to the start of the DCR contract shows 60029 at Tunstead (rather than Peak), and the caption mentions it will be loaded with sugar stone.
DCR 60046 at Tunstead for sugar stone to Brandon (24/11/21): https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_millstones/51704635099/ (Photo: The Millstones)

More recently, I suspect Tunstead have also been supplying sugar stone to Brandon (hauled by Freightliner) with the overall picture made more complicated by the terminal taking deliveries of other aggregates as required.

Returning to this year, in my previous post I said it appeared that 6L82 on 24/07/25 had run empty from Peak to Brandon. It was empty in TOPS... but loaded in reality (which makes more sense), as seen here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/147797206@N02/54681654443/ (Photo: Andy Smith)

Having said that, there had been some empty positioning moves to Brandon during 2024 in connection with the Middleton Towers sand flow (possibly for cleaning out the wagons if they'd been used on other aggregate workings?) 60028 with 6Z82 Chaddesden - Brandon empties 07/10/24:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/147797206@N02/54143614299/ (Photo: Andy Smith)

The caption to this photo of 60046 on 6H84 Brandon - Kings Lynn on 25/07/25 (repositioning the wagons for the Middleton Towers sand) mentions that the sugar beet season will soon be underway. As an idea of the dates, this announcement from British Sugar about the 2024/2025 season shows the factories starting up between mid-September and early October (with the harvest ending in March according to Google). Starting deliveries of sugar stone in late July would fit in with them building up an initial stockpile for a few weeks before production starts.

And this photo of 6M91 Chaddesden - Ravenhead sand train on 26/07/25 mentions that the sand set is normally 18 wagons, compared to 24 coming south loaded to Brandon, with 6 empties left at Chaddesden on the return: https://www.flickr.com/photos/181919693@N06/54680719589/ (Photo: John Catterson)

It's an interesting flow, especially when combined with the sand trains to Ravenhead as a back working... not to mention the class 60 haulage!

0345 6O83 Willesden to Angerstein Wharf - 1005 6L83 to Purfleet Foster Yeoman - 1654 6M08 to Willesden to be (theoretically) repeated on Friday... 6O83/6L83/6M08 ran today with a load of recycled asphalt planings, according to DCR Rail Director David Fletcher "This was the first bulk rail freight flow to be awarded a Network Rail CP7 access charge discount allowing rail to compete with road. Each train removes around 40 lorries from the roads of the capital and reduces CO2 emissions by circa 2.67 tonnes"

I suspect the new service from Angerstein to Purfleet may have been loaded by Norris, who have recycled aggregate as one of the offerings on their website, including tarmac planings.

Norris were also involved with the trains of waste material from Angerstein to Roxby and also Rossington a few years back, sometimes featuring the (now extinct) SSA wagons well away from their usual haunts!

I'm not 100% sure where this would be loaded at Angerstein. Tarmac have their terminal with an overhead loader for the sand trains, Holcim (Aggregate Industries) have their terminal for hopper discharge of stone, but I suspect Norris use the end of the run round loop. On Google Maps, there are two adjacent bridges crossing Bugsby's Way, between Southwark Metals at SE10 0RT and a Home Bargains store. The tracks to the right split into the Holcim and Tarmac terminals, and the other bridge carries the end of the run round loop. Between them, there's an area of waste ground to the north of the main road with what appear to be piles of recycled aggregate - I assume the train would be loaded here, although it might require a bit of shunting to get it all loaded! Mind you, with only 14 wagons on 6L83 to Purfleet it wouldn't be too bad.

 

[pnepaul]

Apologies if this has been asked or discussed already.

Have workings from Hardendale Quarry nr Shap ceased permanently, or will they start again at some point in the future?

 

[Adrian Barr]

Have workings from Hardendale Quarry nr Shap ceased permanently, or will they start again at some point in the future?

The containerised lime traffic to Port Talbot ceased permanently with the closure of the blast furnaces at Port Talbot. The incoming limestone from Tunstead was in connection with that traffic (for processing in the kilns), so that ceased too.

There was some talk of a possible export lime flow on rail from Hardendale (maybe to the large Tata steelworks at Ijmuiden in the Netherlands) but I don't think it amounted to anything in the end.

The lime works at Shapfell (Hardendale) is still open, with some of their production being for agricultural use rather than steelmaking, but I think it all goes by road with little obvious prospect of rail traffic returning (though you never know...)

https://www.tatasteeluk.com/about-us/sites-and-facilities/shapfell-lime

 

[pnepaul]

The containerised lime traffic to Port Talbot ceased permanently with the closure of the blast furnaces at Port Talbot. The incoming limestone from Tunstead was in connection with that traffic (for processing in the kilns), so that ceased too.

There was some talk of a possible export lime flow on rail from Hardendale (maybe to the large Tata steelworks at Ijmuiden in the Netherlands) but I don't think it amounted to anything in the end.

The lime works at Shapfell (Hardendale) is still open, with some of their production being for agricultural use rather than steelmaking, but I think it all goes by road with little obvious prospect of rail traffic returning (though you never know...)

https://www.tatasteeluk.com/about-us/sites-and-facilities/shapfell-lime

Thanks for the reply.

 

[BRX]

I suspect the new service from Angerstein to Purfleet may have been loaded by Norris, who have recycled aggregate as one of the offerings on their website, including tarmac planings.

Norris were also involved with the trains of waste material from Angerstein to Roxby and also Rossington a few years back, sometimes featuring the (now extinct) SSA wagons well away from their usual haunts!

I'm not 100% sure where this would be loaded at Angerstein. Tarmac have their terminal with an overhead loader for the sand trains, Holcim (Aggregate Industries) have their terminal for hopper discharge of stone, but I suspect Norris use the end of the run round loop. On Google Maps, there are two adjacent bridges crossing Bugsby's Way, between Southwark Metals at SE10 0RT and a Home Bargains store. The tracks to the right split into the Holcim and Tarmac terminals, and the other bridge carries the end of the run round loop. Between them, there's an area of waste ground to the north of the main road with what appear to be piles of recycled aggregate - I assume the train would be loaded here, although it might require a bit of shunting to get it all loaded! Mind you, with only 14 wagons on 6L83 to Purfleet it wouldn't be too bad.

This is from Bing maps, not sure exactly how recent it is (I think this year) but that looks like tarmac scrapings in the big pile inbetween where the lines split. The green building and site at bottom left is a Norris site. Looking at older images on Google satellite view shows that this was previously a metals recycling site and seems to have bee quite separate from where the Tarmac scrapings are.



If I'm understanding correctly what you mean by the end of the run-around loop it looks like a bit of a stretch to load a train there - and given the foliage, not from the side of the line with the tarmac pile, so my guess is that it gets loaded in the siding on the other side of the tarmac pile.

Anyway here is that first Angerstein Wharf - Purfleet train, in south london yesterday:

You can just about see some black coloured tarmac stuff poking above the edge of the wagons.

 

[ExRes]

Now you've got me wondering! One complication with figuring out the contracts is that Freightliner might have been running trains from Tunstead to Brandon because they have the contract with Tarmac at Tunstead for those trains, while DCR might have an ongoing contract with Cemex (or the receiving terminal at Brandon) for trains from Peak to Brandon which might have been dormant until Cemex started supplying stone from Peak again... hard to say.

Looking at some trains in 2024, I've got records of Freightliner running at least occasionally from Tunstead to Brandon in January, February, May, August and October (they probably ran in other months too).

Looking through your DCR locos thread, the last loaded DCR working to Brandon was a 6Z82 which left Peak on 27/06/24. Before that, they had been running roughly weekly since the beginning of 2024.

One oddity a few days before the end was DCR hiring GBRF 60096 (in Colas livery!) to work a Brandon service on 24/06/24, which the caption says started at Tunstead:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/rpb2011/53816829228/ (Photo: Robert Brooks)

With some of the Freightliner trains running on dates between the DCR services at the start of 2024, it doesn't look like there was a straightforward contract changeover for the haulier - possibly it was more to do with the supply of sugar stone switching from Peak to Tunstead (and maybe now back again).

Interestingly, this photo dating back to the start of the DCR contract shows 60029 at Tunstead (rather than Peak), and the caption mentions it will be loaded with sugar stone.
DCR 60046 at Tunstead for sugar stone to Brandon (24/11/21): https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_millstones/51704635099/ (Photo: The Millstones)

More recently, I suspect Tunstead have also been supplying sugar stone to Brandon (hauled by Freightliner) with the overall picture made more complicated by the terminal taking deliveries of other aggregates as required.

Returning to this year, in my previous post I said it appeared that 6L82 on 24/07/25 had run empty from Peak to Brandon. It was empty in TOPS... but loaded in reality (which makes more sense), as seen here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/147797206@N02/54681654443/ (Photo: Andy Smith)

Having said that, there had been some empty positioning moves to Brandon during 2024 in connection with the Middleton Towers sand flow (possibly for cleaning out the wagons if they'd been used on other aggregate workings?) 60028 with 6Z82 Chaddesden - Brandon empties 07/10/24:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/147797206@N02/54143614299/ (Photo: Andy Smith)

The caption to this photo of 60046 on 6H84 Brandon - Kings Lynn on 25/07/25 (repositioning the wagons for the Middleton Towers sand) mentions that the sugar beet season will soon be underway. As an idea of the dates, this announcement from British Sugar about the 2024/2025 season shows the factories starting up between mid-September and early October (with the harvest ending in March according to Google). Starting deliveries of sugar stone in late July would fit in with them building up an initial stockpile for a few weeks before production starts.

And this photo of 6M91 Chaddesden - Ravenhead sand train on 26/07/25 mentions that the sand set is normally 18 wagons, compared to 24 coming south loaded to Brandon, with 6 empties left at Chaddesden on the return: https://www.flickr.com/photos/181919693@N06/54680719589/ (Photo: John Catterson)

It's an interesting flow, especially when combined with the sand trains to Ravenhead as a back working... not to mention the class 60 haulage!



I suspect the new service from Angerstein to Purfleet may have been loaded by Norris, who have recycled aggregate as one of the offerings on their website, including tarmac planings.

Norris were also involved with the trains of waste material from Angerstein to Roxby and also Rossington a few years back, sometimes featuring the (now extinct) SSA wagons well away from their usual haunts!

I'm not 100% sure where this would be loaded at Angerstein. Tarmac have their terminal with an overhead loader for the sand trains, Holcim (Aggregate Industries) have their terminal for hopper discharge of stone, but I suspect Norris use the end of the run round loop. On Google Maps, there are two adjacent bridges crossing Bugsby's Way, between Southwark Metals at SE10 0RT and a Home Bargains store. The tracks to the right split into the Holcim and Tarmac terminals, and the other bridge carries the end of the run round loop. Between them, there's an area of waste ground to the north of the main road with what appear to be piles of recycled aggregate - I assume the train would be loaded here, although it might require a bit of shunting to get it all loaded! Mind you, with only 14 wagons on 6L83 to Purfleet it wouldn't be too bad.

Thanks very much @Adrian Barr very interesting and very enlightening. I'd read a comment elsewhere that DCR were 'doubtful' about continuing the Ravenhead job because of the time used up with the wagons for each delivery, obviously if Brandon and Ravenhead jobs could be tied together then it becomes more economically viable

 

[Adrian Barr]

If I'm understanding correctly what you mean by the end of the run-around loop it looks like a bit of a stretch to load a train there - and given the foliage, not from the side of the line with the tarmac pile, so my guess is that it gets loaded in the siding on the other side of the tarmac pile.

I think you're probably right, and the end of the run round loop looks even shorter from that angle. It would make more sense to load over the other side, using the siding that leads to the hopper discharge facility.

 

[Class15]

DRS seem to be doing route learning into Grangemouth tomorrow. Are they getting the Malcolm contract?

 

[Speedbird96]

DRS seem to be doing route learning into Grangemouth tomorrow. Are they getting the Malcolm contract?

As far as I'm aware, Freightliner still have another 3 years on their Malcolm contract, unless this has changed?

 

[Adrian Barr]

DRS seem to be doing route learning into Grangemouth tomorrow. Are they getting the Malcolm contract?

I don't know if there's any connection with the route learning (68024 worked 0Z30 / 0Z31 from Motherwell to Grangemouth Jn and back), but back in 2019 DRS announced a Tilbury - Grangemouth service and have worked into Grangemouth since then from Daventry (which would connect with Tilbury - Daventry services).

For example this 4Z43 Daventry - Grangemouth in 2023 appears to be running as part of the Tesco contract, judging from the containers on it:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/47843_vulcan/52696305341/ (Photo: Rob Reedman)

 

[99009]

There have been some changes to Southampton container workings recently through Chesterfield.

Before, the workings (mostly 5 days a week) were as follows:
4O90 Leeds - Southampton - FL
4O99 Leeds - Southampton - FL
4O34 Doncaster Iport - Southampton - GBRF (3 days a week)
4O52 Rotherham - Southampton - DB (4 days a week)
4O43 Wakefield Europort - Southampton - DB

Now, the workings (mostly daily but not all) are as follows:
4O99 Leeds - Southampton - FL
4O31 Leeds - Southampton - FL
4O90 Doncaster Europort - Southampton - FL (1st working tomorrow)
4O33 Doncaster Iport - Southampton - GBRF (3 days a week - Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday)
4O36 Rotherham - Southampton - GBRF (4 services a week - 2 on Monday, 1 Wednesday and 1 Friday)

Essentially, GBRF have replaced DB Rotherham - Southampton and FL have replaced DB starting today with a new Doncaster Europort - Southampton instead of old Wakefield - Southampton. No more DB operated modals through Chesterfield! To accommodate the morning Europort train (4O90) the other Leeds train now uses the 4O31 path.

Northbound it means 4E91 Southampton - Leeds returns, 4E68 Southampton - Wakefield has ceased running and a new 4E65 Southampton - Doncaster Europort replaces it. The first run of 4E65 was today and the path can be found here:

4E65 Southampton - Doncaster Europort:

Realtime Trains | 4E65 1313 Southampton M.C.T. to Doncaster Europort (Fl) | 04/08/2025

Real-time train running information for 4E65 1313 departure from Southampton M.C.T. to Doncaster Europort (Fl) on 04/08/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

And here's 4O90, now VAR scheduled from Doncaster Europort:

Realtime Trains | 4O90 0455 Doncaster Europort (Fl) to Southampton M.C.T. | 05/08/2025

Real-time train running information for 4O90 0455 departure from Doncaster Europort (Fl) to Southampton M.C.T. on 05/08/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[Trinzilla]

Does anyone have any information on this working out of Ferrybridge Power Station?

Realtime Trains | 6M27 1100 Ferrybridge C Pwr Stn Flhh to Brindle Heath R.T.S. Flhh | 04/08/2025

Real-time train running information for 6M27 1100 departure from Ferrybridge C Pwr Stn Flhh to Brindle Heath R.T.S. Flhh on 04/08/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

A trial or new flow perhaps?

 

[geordieblue]

Does anyone have any information on this working out of Ferrybridge Power Station?

Realtime Trains | 6M27 1100 Ferrybridge C Pwr Stn Flhh to Brindle Heath R.T.S. Flhh | 04/08/2025

Real-time train running information for 6M27 1100 departure from Ferrybridge C Pwr Stn Flhh to Brindle Heath R.T.S. Flhh on 04/08/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

A trial or new flow perhaps?

That’s good news - there was a trial around this time last year but I don’t think any more trains ran after it: https://enfinium.co.uk/enfinium-welcomes-first-rail-delivery-of-waste-to-yorkshire-facility/. Hopefully becomes something more regular

 

[DBS92042]

Has the Willesden Euroterminal to Rugby (New Bilton) 6R95/4R98 and 6R93/4N81 spoil flow finished now? I don't think 6R93/4N81 has run for over 2 months now and 6R95/4R98 for even longer (possibily 4 months)

 

[Class15]

Has the Willesden Euroterminal to Rugby (New Bilton) 6R95/4R98 and 6R93/4N81 spoil flow finished now? I don't think 6R93/4N81 has run for over 2 months now and 6R95/4R98 for even longer (possibily 4 months)

The Barrington spoil one and the Hartlepool bridge section train haven’t run for ages either, maybe a lull in HS2 work?

 

[Intercity_225]

The Barrington spoil one and the Hartlepool bridge section train haven’t run for ages either, maybe a lull in HS2 work?

It's a shame if the Barrington service has finished as it's great to film barrelling through Stevenage..

 

[Freightmaster]

The Barrington spoil one and the Hartlepool bridge section train haven’t run for ages either, maybe a lull in HS2 work?

Correct - the Hartlepool is supposed to be resuming in September,
so I expect the spoil trains will resume around the same time.



MARK

 

[DBS92042]

Correct - the Hartlepool is supposed to be resuming in September,
so I expect the spoil trains will resume around the same time.



MARK

That's good to hear, thank you

 

[JKF]

Avonmouth freight is all running via Clifton Down on the Severn Beach line this week and next week due to work on the Henbury loop (drainage works associated with Brabazon station I think?). Surprised they can find the paths on the single line, seven are scheduled today including some in the middle of the day!

 

[Freightmaster]

Surprised they can find the paths on the single line, seven are scheduled today including some in the middle of the day!

The passenger service has been reduced to hourly in each direction between 11am and 5pm to free up
paths for the diverted freight services.




MARK