Rail Freight Flows and News UK

[Adrian Barr]

There are a lot of Coatbridge to Crewe workings and I wonder if containers are attached to other services at Basford Hall ?

Yes, there are usually 2 portions on the Coatbridge services between Basford Hall and the ports (one to or from Coatbridge and the other to or from Trafford Park or Ditton).

After mentioning portion working to Trafford park in post #2258 I had a close look at the Coatbridge workings in TOPS.

The info at the bottom of this post shows the general pattern of portion working on Coatbridge services in mid-December. Basically services to Coatbridge operate to and from Felixstowe, Southampton and London Gateway (one train to and from each per day). All Coatbridge trains call at Basford Hall to detach or attach portions for the southern leg of the journey between Basford Hall and the ports. Some Coatbridge trains start or terminate at Basford Hall but they are all effectively through services to or from one of the ports mentioned.

With the ECML diversions, I can see a 4S59 22:53 Basford Hall - Coatbridge and a 4S50 23:22 Basford Hall - Coatbridge via the ECML when I look at trains on 07/01/26, and a corresponding 4M11 12:12 Coatbridge - Basford Hall and 4M82 21:37 Coatbridge - Basford Hall. Added to the direct train to / from London Gateway that gives the same 3 trains in and out of Coatbridge, but the traffic on each train and the associated workings to or from the ports might be different compared to what they usually are (for example 4M82 usually has London Gateway traffic on it but that will be running direct during the ECML diversions).

4S59 from Southampton is altered to terminate at Basford Hall. There's a 4O11 02:53 Basford Hall - Southampton for the return of 4S59.

4S88 14:33 Felixstowe - Coatbridge is shown as a direct train via the ECML on 07/01/26 and also some other dates.
There doesn't appear to be a direct return working, so that might run as 4L95 01:16 Basford Hall - Felixstowe.

It's not 100% clear (seems to be 4 northbound workings to Coatbridge and 3 southbound) but more or less fits together...

For 08/01/26 at Coatbridge:

4S88 ex Felixstowe arrives 03:52
4S59 ex Basford Hall arrives 10:33
4S60 ex London Gateway arrives 11:44
4M11 to Basford Hall departs 12:12
4S50 ex Basford Hall arrives 12:30
4Z86 to London Gateway departs 19:46
4M82 21:37 to Basford Hall departs 21:37

All STP schedules via the East Coast Main Line

=========================

Mid-December 2025 Coatbridge workings:

NORTHBOUND TRAINS TO COATBRIDGE

4S59 14:57 Southampton MCT - Coatbridge
+ portion for Trafford Park 4H54

4S88 14:33 Felixstowe - Coatbridge
+ portion for Trafford Park 4H00

4S60 21:14 London Gateway - Basford Hall
+ portion for Ditton 4F42
forms
4S50 06:05 Basford Hall - Coatbridge

SOUTHBOUND TRAINS FROM COATBRIDGE

4M86 19:36 Coatbridge - Basford Hall
forms
4L95 01:36 Basford Hall - Felixstowe
+ portion from Trafford Park ex 4K80

4M11 18:14 Coatbridge - Basford Hall
forms
4O11 00:01 Basford Hall - Southampton MCT
+ [sometimes] a portion from Trafford Park ex 4K80

4M82 22:07 Coatbridge - Basford Hall
forms
4L49 03:56 Basford Hall - London Gateway
+ portion from Ditton ex 4K54

List of trains involved:

Basford Hall Portion Working (mid December 2025)

4O11 00:01 Basford Hall - Soton [ex Coatbridge 4M11 + portion ex 4K80 sometimes]
4L95 01:36 Basford Hall - Felixstowe [ex Coatbridge 4M86 + portion ex Trafford 4K80)
4L49 03:56 Basford Hall - London Gateway [ex Coatbridge 4M82 + portion ex Ditton 4K54]
4F42 05:11 Basford Hall - Ditton [ex London Gateway 4S60]
4S50 06:05 Basford Hall - Coatbridge [ex London Gateway 4S60]
4H00 07:07 Basford Hall - Trafford Park [portion ex Felixstowe 4S88]
4K54 10:24 Ditton - Basford Hall [portion for 4L49 to London Gateway]
4S88 14:33 Felixstowe - Coatbridge [calls Basford Hall to detach portion for Trafford Park 4H00]
4S59 14:57 Southampton - Coatbridge [calls Basford Hall to detach portion for Trafford Park 4H54]
4M11 18:14 Coatbridge - Basford Hall [forms 4O11 to Southampton]
4M86 19:36 Coatbridge - Basford Hall [forms 4L95 to Felixstowe]
4K80 20:20 Trafford - Basford Hall [portion for 4L95 Felixstowe OR 4O11 Southampton]
4S60 21:14 London Gateway - Basford Hall [forms Coatbridge 4S50 + portion for Ditton 4F42]
4M82 22:07 Coatbridge - Basford Hall [forms 4L49 London Gateway]

 

[BorderCollie]

Any info on the new 4E31 0800 Mossend Down Sidings Flhh to Doncaster Europort (Fl)? A new flow?

 

[geordieblue]

Any info on the new 4E31 0800 Mossend Down Sidings Flhh to Doncaster Europort (Fl)? A new flow?

Yes it’s a new flow - Freightliner put in a track access application for loads of slightly unusual new routes a few months ago but most were dropped; this was one of the few which they kept in. Proposed rights table here: https://www.orr.gov.uk/sites/defaul...d-s22a-26th-supplemental-agreement-sch-5.xlsx

(As an aside if anyone can explain such proposed flows as Ripple Lane-Buxton I’d be intrigued to hear!)

 

[hwl]

A lot of intermodal are running ECML till mid Jan including 4S60 London Gateway to Coatbridge . I cannot find a corresponding southbound working ( same applies to Felixstowe to Coatbridge ) . There are a lot of Coatbridge to Crewe workings and I wonder if containers are attached to other services at Basford Hall ?

Normally the southbound services get a different headcode after the stop at Basford Hall. Traditionally the Coatbridge services were slightly shorter so they would often lose (NB) and gain (SB) some wagons at Crewe.

 

[j37401]

Are all the DRS intermodals being diverted via the East coast? I'm not sure what gauge the S&C is but i thought some of the Tesco services use low deck wagons. I presume this isn't feasible?
I note that the DBC Seaforth - Mossend is diverted next week a very long way round via Litchfield / Toton then east coast.

 

[Shimbleshanks]

In between Christmas and New Year we've had the Grain Oil Terminal to Colnbrook aviation fuel tankers and return empties coming through Purley. I assume it's because the regular route is blocked. It's the first time I can remember in over 25 years that there has been any freight other than aggregates (or engineering trains) on the Brighton Main Line. Not sure what the traction was (I only get a very fleeting glimpse of the line from my bedroom window) but it was a GBRf loco of some sort. The services seem to have stopped now, according to Realtime trains - at least I can't find any mention of them.

 

[stantheman]

Story on another site that the Mossend to Doncaster 4E04 and northbound have finished due to a distribution centre closure . This train was always long and 100 per cent full .

 

[Freightmaster]

Story on another site that the Mossend to Doncaster 4E04 and northbound have finished due to a distribution centre closure .

Correct.


When the ECML diversions finish in a couple of weeks, daytime freight on the Dunbar to Morpeth
section of the northern ECML will be very sparse!



MARK

 

[Adrian Barr]

Are all the DRS intermodals being diverted via the East coast? I'm not sure what gauge the S&C is but i thought some of the Tesco services use low deck wagons. I presume this isn't feasible?
I note that the DBC Seaforth - Mossend is diverted next week a very long way round via Litchfield / Toton then east coast.

Yes, for example 4S43 06:09 Daventry - Coatbridge ran today (Friday 2nd Jan) with 88002 + 68034 via Coventry, Bescot, Sutton Park, Toton, Barrow Hill, Swinton, Doncaster, ECML, Millerhill and Shotts.
4S44 12:19 Daventry - Coatbridge took the same route with 66425, and there's a 4Z45 21:20 Daventry - Coatbridge on the run now with 68002.

Southbound, 4M27 05:37 Coatbridge - Daventry was hauled by 68002, and there's a 4Z49 21:10 Coatbridge - Daventry on the run with 68034, all taking the same route.

The Settle - Carlisle route is shown as W7 gauge in the sectional appendix, but W8 is really the minimum to be a viable diversionary route for containers, and even then it wouldn't be able to take high cube containers on megafret (IKA) wagons which are the most common type on Daventry - Scotland services. I think the only container traffic the S&C might be able to take would be if they used IDA low deck wagons with 8 foot 6 inch high Tesco containers (for example I watched the 4N51 Doncaster Iport - Tees Dock Tesco service today and every container was this size - coded LCGB). But the IDAs are usually mixed in with IKA megafrets on these services, then there are pathing issues and route knowledge issues... plus I'm not sure if a single 68 would be adequate over the S&C ? During the day it would arguably make more sense to use spare paths over the S&C to divert passenger services.

The topic of using the S&C for WCML freight was discussed in this thread a while back: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/settle-carlisle-for-wcml-freight.251863/
The only containers that have regularly run on the S&C in recent years have been the gypsum containers to Kirkby Thore, but they were only 8ft tall like the original Freightliner containers.

If the northern section of the WCML is blocked beyond Carlisle, it's possible to divert the Daventry - Scotland traffic over the GSW route via Dumfries, Falkland Yard, Kilwinning, Paisley Gilmour Street, Shields Jn and Carmyle to Mossend or Coatbridge / Grangemouth, but I think it may be preferred to divert via the East Coast unless that route is blocked too.

The Seaforth - Mossend service has high cube containers on high deck FXA and FQA wagons which requires W10A clearance (slightly taller than W10) which means the only feasible diversion is the one they are taking, via the Lichfield chord and then following the same route mentioned previously. Unfortunately there's a restriction between Huyton and Earlestown which prohibits high cube containers on FQA or FXA wagons which will limit the amount of high cube containers it can carry north. Freightliner trains between Crewe Basford Hall and Coatbridge are also going the same way via the chord at Lichfield.

Diversionary routes are limited, as between London and Scotland I think the only East - West routes that are W10 gauge cleared are via Burton - Toton - Barrow Hill - Doncaster, or Nuneaton - Leicester - Peterborough. The Daventry - Scotland services need W9 gauge, but the options for this aren't much different.

Daventry - Coatbridge is 429 miles via this diversionary route vs 315 miles via the usual one. Using 4S43 as an example, it's timed to take 11 hours 38 mins for the diversion vs 7 hours 37 min for the usual route - a good 4 hours longer. But it brings them through my local station so I'm not complaining!

 

[BorderCollie]

I read that the pathing of 4E04 was a particular sticking-point in the development of the new East Coast timetable and required much digging-in of heals and eventual negotiation. Having it finish within a month of the start of that timetable must be galling from the planner's perspective.

4E31 if it ever runs will provide new day time entertainment?

 

[Class15]

Can anyone confirm if 4M94 Felixstowe to Daventry is likely to be a pair of 90s longer term? It’s 90006 and 90005 today and this would be an interesting 90 working.

 

[55002]

Can anyone confirm if 4M94 Felixstowe to Daventry is likely to be a pair of 90s longer term? It’s 90006 and 90005 today and this would be an interesting 90 working.

Didn’t it use to carry on to Lawley St or is that a different one, 4M87? if not going to Lawley St anymore I assume that’s why they used 90s

 

[DBS92042]

Didn’t it use to carry on to Lawley St or is that a different one, 4M87? if not going to Lawley St anymore I assume that’s why they used 90s

4M94 did indeed used to go to Lawley Street, was previously always a 66 turn. 4M87 was to Trafford Park and was 90s (previously 86s) most of the time

 

[Class15]

4M94 did indeed used to go to Lawley Street, was previously always a 66 turn. 4M87 was to Trafford Park and was 90s (previously 86s) most of the time

I think 55002 was talking about the previous few months, when 4M87 went to Daventry before some of the train continued to Lawley St as 4M93 from Daventry.

 

[D1511]

4S88 isn't running today, which is a shame. It's booked around the Sub, but it's often 90s, so I was curious if they'd go through Waverley or if they'll just put a shed on it as it won't have Shap and Beattock to negotiate......
It'd be nice to see some 90s at Slateford again.......

 

[Class15]

4S88 isn't running today, which is a shame. It's booked around the Sub, but it's often 90s, so I was curious if they'd go through Waverley or if they'll just put a shed on it as it won't have Shap and Beattock to negotiate......
It'd be nice to see some 90s at Slateford again.......

It wouldn’t be 90s due to the routing via Bury St Edmunds and Ely anyway.

 

[D1511]

It wouldn’t be 90s due to the routing via Bury St Edmunds and Ely anyway.

Freightliner were doing learning runs with 90s to and from Newcastle last year, so what were they for? The Basfod Halls?

 

[Class15]

FLR were doing learning runs with 90s to and from Newcastle

FLR were doing learning runs with 90s to and from Newcastle last year, so what were they for? The Basfod Halls?

They were learning the route, not the traction, so whatever traction is most available will be used.

 

[D1511]

They were learning the route, not the traction, so whatever traction is most available will be used.

Ok that's a pity. Just GM crap then, apart from the DRS services.

They were obviously just winding me up by using pairs of 90s on the Mossend- Newcastle route learnings back in Oct/Nov.

 

[Numbskull100]

Can anyone confirm if 4M94 Felixstowe to Daventry is likely to be a pair of 90s longer term? It’s 90006 and 90005 today and this would be an interesting 90 working.

Yes, booked 90s up to at least April.

As is 4L96, the return working.

 

[Class15]

He's


Yes, booked 90s up to at least April.

As is 4L96, the return working.

Brilliant news, thanks very much for sharing!

 

[eastwestdivide]

Just spotted an unusual-looking 4E52 1930 Grain Thamesport Flt to Hartlepool Pd Ports Fl on RTT, already under way:

Realtime Trains | 4E52 1930 Grain Thamesport Flt to Hartlepool Pd Ports Fl | 06/01/2026

Real-time train running information for 4E52 1930 departure from Grain Thamesport Flt to Hartlepool Pd Ports Fl on 06/01/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Any ideas what traffic? Containers? Listed as “RfD Freightliner (Contracts)”

There was a corresponding inbound Hartlepool to Grain earlier, revised and replaced by a Peterboro-Grain, listed as “RfD Building Minerals (UK Contracts)”

Realtime Trains | 4Z52 1944 Hartlepool Pd Ports Fl to Peterborough | 05/01/2026

Real-time train running information for 4Z52 1944 departure from Hartlepool Pd Ports Fl to Peterborough on 05/01/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[Freightmaster]

Any ideas what traffic?

It's HS2 tunnel segments from Hartlepool - they used to be unloaded/stored at Willesden,
but are now being stockpiled at Thamesport too.



MARK

 

[eastwestdivide]

It's HS2 tunnel segments from Hartlepool - they used to be unloaded/stored at Willesden,
but are now being stockpiled at Thamesport too.



MARK

Ah thanks - I wouldn’t have guessed that. Pity it’s running in the dark. Would that be on the adapted container flats that were used for tunnel segments from Grain a few years back?

 

[Freightmaster]

Ah thanks - I wouldn’t have guessed that. Pity it’s running in the dark. Would that be on the adapted container flats that were used for tunnel segments from Grain a few years back?

It's a similar arrangement - this is what the train looks like:

66563. Retford.

14.12.2025. Freightliner Class 66 No 66563 pulls into Retford with 4O52, the 16.36 Hartlepool Ports - Grain Thamesport working. The train appeared to be carrying tunnel lining components.

www.flickr.com

MARK

 

[BRX]

Ah thanks - I wouldn’t have guessed that. Pity it’s running in the dark. Would that be on the adapted container flats that were used for tunnel segments from Grain a few years back?

It looks like it was taking segments to Grain rather than from Grain. So the loaded train would have been in the daylight. Would have filmed it myself had I known! I saw a Peterborough-Grain on RTT but didn't realise it would be this.
Will be interesting to see how often it runs & how much is going to be stockpiled at Thamesport.

 

[Adrian Barr]

Any info on the new 4E31 0800 Mossend Down Sidings Flhh to Doncaster Europort (Fl)? A new flow?

Story on another site that the Mossend to Doncaster 4E04 and northbound have finished due to a distribution centre closure . This train was always long and 100 per cent full .

I'm wondering if there is a connection between 4E04 ending and 4E31 potentially running on the same Mossend - Doncaster route?

4S04 / 4E04 was a dedicated service for Stobart. It's possible (although speculation on my part) that Stobart may have lost a haulage contract which has switched to another road haulier, potentially one using a different distribution centre and linked to Freightliner for rail haulage instead of GBRF. It's hard to tell with new WTT paths as they frequently go unused - I get the impression that proposals are developed for new traffic which are serious enough to get the paths into the WTT, but then don't always come to fruition.

On the Anglo-Scottish traffic from Daventry, Freightliner serve Malcolm Logistics (with 4S48 / 4M30 return to Mossend and Grangemouth) along with Russells (to Coatbridge). DRS haul trains for Tesco but these are also linked to Russells, as explained in this informative post about supermarket traffic.

From the Russells website:

Russell Logistics and Russell RailRoad Ltd are pleased to share the extension of our long-standing partnership with Tesco. This collaboration now sees Russell Group supporting Tesco’s intermodal services through the Coatbridge Rail Terminal.

With DRS providing the rail service and Russell Group overseeing terminal operations and distribution, services successfully commenced in September [2024]
https://www.johngrussell.co.uk/news/one-year-of-russell-railroad/

4S88 isn't running today, which is a shame.

So far this year, there hasn't been any Felixstowe - Coatbridge traffic at all on the East Coast diversions, with 4S88 also cancelled on Friday 2nd Jan.

Freightliner ECML diversions in and out of Coatbridge so far this year are listed below (all using class 66s)

Friday 2nd Jan

4S50 00:15 Basford Hall - Coatbridge (14 wagons ex Southampton, off 4S59 14:57 Soton - Basford Hall on 30th December).

4M11 10:50 Coatbridge - Basford Hall (14 empties for Southampton). These went forward on 4O27 06:47 Basford Hall - Southampton, combined with traffic off 4K80 20:20 from Trafford Park.

4M86 19:36 Coatbridge - Basford Hall (23 wagons for London Gateway, forward on 4L49 02:59 Basford Hall - London Gateway 05/01).

4S60 21:16 London Gateway - Coatbridge (24 wagons, direct service via Stratford, ECML, Lincoln)

Monday 5th Jan

4Z86 19:46 Coatbridge - London Gateway (24 wagons, direct service via ECML and Stratford)
4S59 22:53 Basford Hall - Coatbridge (23 wagons ex Southampton, off Friday's 4S59 14:57 Southampton - Basford Hall, which also conveyed a Trafford Park portion for 4H54 21:09 from Basford Hall).

Tuesday 6th Jan

4M11 12:12 Coatbridge - Basford Hall (23 wagons for Southampton, forward on 4O11 02:53 Basford Hall - Southampton, which also conveyed a portion off 4K08 17:59 Trafford Park - Basford Hall).

4S60 21:16 London Gateway - Coatbridge (28 wagons, direct service via Stratford and ECML)

4S59 22:53 Basford Hall - Coatbridge (23 wagons ex Southampton off 4S59 14:57 Southampton - Basford Hall, which also conveyed a portion for 4H54 21:09 from Basford Hall to Trafford Park).

 

[xotGD]

Today we have on its way:

4Z11 1152 Doncaster Down Decoy Gbrf to Eastriggs M.O.D.

hauled by 66790. Can anyone shed any light on what it is conveying?

 

[littledude]

Today we have on its way:

4Z11 1152 Doncaster Down Decoy Gbrf to Eastriggs M.O.D.

hauled by 66790. Can anyone shed any light on what it is conveying?

A rake of JNA boxes, with 3 IIA sand hoppers. I’m fairly sure VTG do maintenance at Eastriggs so they’ll probably return in the coming weeks.

 

[xotGD]

A rake of JNA boxes, with 3 IIA sand hoppers. I’m fairly sure VTG do maintenance at Eastriggs so they’ll probably return in the coming weeks.

Thanks - I've just seen it on the Horton in Ribblesdale webcam. Turns out it is 66760, not 790.