Rail Freight Flows and News UK

[Trainz6013]

Train L01581 On Is No Longer Valid

Live Train Times for Train to departing on | Rail Record

live.rail-record.co.uk

Hello everyone, any ideas what this is? It's been in the timetable for the last few days, but never ran. RR says its operated by 'Unknown'

 

[Tobytrain10]

Train L01581 On Is No Longer Valid

Live Train Times for Train to departing on | Rail Record

live.rail-record.co.uk

Hello everyone, any ideas what this is? It's been in the timetable for the last few days, but never ran. RR says its operated by 'Unknown'

I wonder if it correlates with wierd tyne coal paths to immingham paths, it would make sense as the one last weekend was cancelled aswell as whatever u found

 

[androdas]

I cant remember which day but one of the early biomass services through Ashington to Lynemouth power station last week was using the Drax branded set. This is the first time I have seen that on the Lynemouth services so maybe there is some maintenance going on with the Tyne Dock based biomass hoppers?

 

[rick pike]

I cant remember which day but one of the early biomass services through Ashington to Lynemouth power station last week was using the Drax branded set. This is the first time I have seen that on the Lynemouth services so maybe there is some maintenance going on with the Tyne Dock based biomass hoppers?

I've got a feeling that would have been the rake that was loaded with peanut husks at Immigham on the previous Sunday. The last two consecutive Sundays has seen a Tyne dock to Immingham empties run then loaded as part of a trial for Lynmouth.

 

[furnessvale]

The government has frozen road fuel duty yet again, but added a 12 month holiday to HGVs so they won't pay excise licences.

Has anyone heard of corresponding reliefs to railfreight? (I live in forlorn hope)

"Prime Minister Keir Starmer has confirmed the government will extend the temporary 5p cut in fuel duty until the end of the year, alongside a 12-month vehicle tax holiday for the haulage industry, in a move welcomed by operators facing soaring fuel costs linked to the conflict in Iran."

Government extends fuel duty freeze and grants HGV tax relief

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has confirmed the government will extend the temporary 5p cut in fuel duty until the end of the year, alongside a 12-month vehicle tax holiday for the haulage industry, in a move welcomed by operators facing soaring fuel costs linked to the conflict in Iran.

motortransport.co.uk

It has since been confirmed that red diesel duty for farmers and railfreight is also being reduced.

 

[BorderCollie]

1/3rd reduction in red diesel fuel duty.

 

[Oxfordblues]

I note that there is a "Q"-path for an 08:49 SX Seaforth Container Terminal (GBRf) to Dollands Moor: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:H49625/2026-05-21/detailed

This is presumably for "land bridge" traffic for deep-sea boxes arriving in Liverpool destined mainland Europe to save ships from a further leg to Rotterdam. If so it would finally realise one of the core freight flows for which the Channel Tunnel was built and is one of Peel Ports' long-term ambitions, but I wonder if it will ever materialise.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 May 2026 ==

1/3rd reduction in red diesel fuel duty.

When Minister of Transport Ernest Marples launched the motorway-building programme he specified that there would be no toll-booths to pay for the investment so as to help his friends in the road haulage industry compete with the railways. Some contribution would be made through fuel duty, but never enough to pay for maintenance, policing and accident costs. There is in effect a huge hidden subsidy to the road-freight industry without which it would struggle financially. This reduction in fuel duty is a further boost to that subsidy and will be welcome by every haulier.

 

[BorderCollie]

When Minister of Transport Ernest Marples launched the motorway-building programme he specified that there would be no toll-booths to pay for the investment so as to help his friends in the road haulage industry compete with the railways. Some contribution would be made through fuel duty, but never enough to pay for maintenance, policing and accident costs. There is in effect a huge hidden subsidy to the road-freight industry without which it would struggle financially. This reduction in fuel duty is a further boost to that subsidy and will be welcome by every haulier.

Road hauliers don't use red diesel. Railways do.

A quick calculation shows:

Duty per litre cut from 10.18p to 6.48p

Class 66 fuel capacity: 5,400litres

Was £550 fuel duty

Now £350 fuel duty

That's a significant saving for the industry at every fuelling.

 

[HST125Scorton]

Seems like Freightliner are having a test run with 93008 & 93004 today from Garston FLT, unknown yet how many wagons are on the draw.

Realtime Trains | 4Q42 1321 Garston F.L.T. to Crewe South Yard | 23/05/2026

Real-time train running information for 4Q42 1321 departure from Garston F.L.T. to Crewe South Yard on 23/05/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[RichardAsh1981]

As a bit of background retailer B&M has recently opened a major warehouse at Ellesmere Port and stated a few years ago that they would eventually move to a situation where 70% of their imports would be shipped to the Port of Liverpool.

I would be surprised if this moves by rail, as the route would be round the houses, and there is no obvious rail terminal at the Ellesmere Port end. More likely I would think transhipment at Liverpool to a barge which will fit up the Manchester Ship Canal and then offload to road at one of the Ellesmere Port warves. Peel have operated such services to further up the canal in the past

 

[AndrewE]

I would be surprised if this moves by rail, as the route would be round the houses, and there is no obvious rail terminal at the Ellesmere Port end. More likely I would think transhipment at Liverpool to a barge which will fit up the Manchester Ship Canal and then offload to road at one of the Ellesmere Port wharves. Peel have operated such services to further up the canal in the past

... which is what the Daniel Adamson was built for! It would be lovely to see the return of this sort of traffic, but somehow I can't really see it happening.

 

[Wavertreelad]

I would be surprised if this moves by rail, as the route would be round the houses, and there is no obvious rail terminal at the Ellesmere Port end. More likely I would think transhipment at Liverpool to a barge which will fit up the Manchester Ship Canal and then offload to road at one of the Ellesmere Port warves. Peel have operated such services to further up the canal in the past

I would not disagree with the principle but it's unlikely to be a barge as they have tried that a few years back and it ran into all sorts of problems which is why they switched to a small feeder vessel for the service to Port Salford further up the Ship Canal. However, that has not run for a couple of years now and in recent months the Canal has been closed beyond Warrington for maintenance which if navigation is to be maintained eventually reflects in the costs which in turn limits the capacity of any vessel deployed on the route. At best that capaccity is currently limited to about 350/400 teu and at best you might just get three round trips out of a single vessel subject to tidal and weather conditions and the locking in and out at Liverpool and Eastham. The problem is what you do with the feeder if it's not sailing up or down the canal as all the feeders operating out of Liverpool nowadays are 868 teu and above, so it's difficult to see how such a service would be a viable proposition.

My point about the need for upgrading the Seaforth railhead was more to do with the fact that any direct service from Asia and/or the Indian Subcontinent would generate a huge number of containers, many of which would have previously been routed via Felixstowe, London Gateway Port and perhaps Southampton. So whilst the B&M facility would generate large numbers on it's own, there are facilties in the region such as the huge TJ Morris and Amazon etc warehouses at St Helens on the border with Warrington with will generate substantial numbers in their own right. Ten years on since Liverpool 2 opened, the terminal has largely managed to steadlity grow volumes using mainly road transport for it's distribution mainly across it's natural catchment areas across the North of England, Midlands and North Wales. However, to service the wider UK market, it will become necessary to increase the volumes moving by rail simply because the road transport industry will not necessarily be able to sustain long term growth. .

 

[ExRes]

Just wondering if anyone has heard anything recently about the reopening of Plumstead Yard for aggregate deliveries, DCR did a successful access trial back in mid December and the hoped for date was with the May timetable changes to allow a 20 wagon train to propel into the Yard from the main line, I haven't seen anything from DCR or the local 'Murky Depths' website recently

Thanks

 

[BRX]

I note that there is a "Q"-path for an 08:49 SX Seaforth Container Terminal (GBRf) to Dollands Moor: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:H49625/2026-05-21/detailed

This is presumably for "land bridge" traffic for deep-sea boxes arriving in Liverpool destined mainland Europe to save ships from a further leg to Rotterdam. If so it would finally realise one of the core freight flows for which the Channel Tunnel was built and is one of Peel Ports' long-term ambitions, but I wonder if it will ever materialise.

I have no special knowledge about this at all - but my observation is that all the time there are odd paths between dollands moor and various places, which generally never seem to indicate that anything is actually going to run in them. I'd be delighted if a deep sea box flow started running but I've learnt to keep my expectations very low.

 

[Trainman40083]

I would not disagree with the principle but it's unlikely to be a barge as they have tried that a few years back and it ran into all sorts of problems which is why they switched to a small feeder vessel for the service to Port Salford further up the Ship Canal. However, that has not run for a couple of years now and in recent months the Canal has been closed beyond Warrington for maintenance which if navigation is to be maintained eventually reflects in the costs which in turn limits the capacity of any vessel deployed on the route. At best that capaccity is currently limited to about 350/400 teu and at best you might just get three round trips out of a single vessel subject to tidal and weather conditions and the locking in and out at Liverpool and Eastham. The problem is what you do with the feeder if it's not sailing up or down the canal as all the feeders operating out of Liverpool nowadays are 868 teu and above, so it's difficult to see how such a service would be a viable proposition.

My point about the need for upgrading the Seaforth railhead was more to do with the fact that any direct service from Asia and/or the Indian Subcontinent would generate a huge number of containers, many of which would have previously been routed via Felixstowe, London Gateway Port and perhaps Southampton. So whilst the B&M facility would generate large numbers on it's own, there are facilties in the region such as the huge TJ Morris and Amazon etc warehouses at St Helens on the border with Warrington with will generate substantial numbers in their own right. Ten years on since Liverpool 2 opened, the terminal has largely managed to steadlity grow volumes using mainly road transport for it's distribution mainly across it's natural catchment areas across the North of England, Midlands and North Wales. However, to service the wider UK market, it will become necessary to increase the volumes moving by rail simply because the road transport industry will not necessarily be able to sustain long term growth. .

Did I read somewhere about a proposal to reopen the railway line to the canal side at Warrington?

 

[Wavertreelad]

Did I read somewhere about a proposal to reopen the railway line to the canal side at Warrington?

This one perhaps? https://www.placenorthwest.co.uk/peel-revives-port-of-warrington-project/

Plans for the creation of a rail freight terminal at Acton Grange next to the Manchester Ship Canal have remerged 15 years after they were approved, with a couple of warehouses now thrown into the mix.

The Manchester Ship Canal Company, controlled by Peel Ports, has lodged early stage proposals for the project to Warrington Council.

Peel bought the 40-acre site in 2007 with a plan to refurbish a redundant berth on the canal and reinstate a railway line.

 

[Trainman40083]

This one perhaps? https://www.placenorthwest.co.uk/peel-revives-port-of-warrington-project/

That will be the one.

 

[AndrewE]

That could be good. https://maps.nls.uk/view/101104385 shows a railway line from Walton Old Jct to the Ship Canal line along the N bank and https://maps.nls.uk/view/102339600 shows a timber yard and an "Acton Grange Lay-bye" (sic) where I remember seeing ships tied up about 20 years ago.
So: easy access to the rail network and on the main ship canal below Latchford Locks. You would have to pay for tugs to get the ship back to Eastham but otherwise it looks a potential goer.

 

[WessexEclectic]

Does anyone know what this Q path is about - 6L96 09:06 Didcot Terminal Complex to Dereham UKF ?

Can't believe they've restarted moving fertiliser by rail?...

 

[eastwestdivide]

Does anyone know what this Q path is about - 6L96 09:06 Didcot Terminal Complex to Dereham UKF ?

Can't believe they've restarted moving fertiliser by rail?...

Old name for the destination. UKF hasn't existed for donkey's years.
I'd guess something preservation-related given the two end points.

 

[amn]

Does anyone know what this Q path is about - 6L96 09:06 Didcot Terminal Complex to Dereham UKF ?

Can't believe they've restarted moving fertiliser by rail?...

My understanding is this is MOD related. I believe this last ran about 2020, I'm not aware of anything running since, but they do have rights.

 

[Express380]

Many thanks for that detailed info.

incidentally I noticed a week ago in Westbury Down Yd about 4 or 5 Immerys bulk clay bogie hoppers, presumably rather stranded there now, since the surviving Cornish Clay by rail traffic has been taken over from DBS by GBRf who no longer run the weekly Cliffe Vale and return train via Westbury ..so where is mtce of this Wagon Pool now done I wonder ?

Came down last night on the empties from Stoke via a 1 hour stop at Westbury

 

[Tobytrain10]

New class 99 test paths added to the system

Realtime Trains | 4D30 0827 P'boro Westwood Sdgs Gbrf to Doncaster Down Decoy Gbrf | 10/06/2026

Real-time train running information for 4D30 0827 departure from P'boro Westwood Sdgs Gbrf to Doncaster Down Decoy Gbrf on 10/06/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Realtime Trains | 4H33 1549 Doncaster Down Decoy Gbrf to P'boro Westwood Sdgs Gbrf | 10/06/2026

Real-time train running information for 4H33 1549 departure from Doncaster Down Decoy Gbrf to P'boro Westwood Sdgs Gbrf on 10/06/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Realtime Trains | 4H31 1100 Doncaster Down Decoy Gbrf to P'boro Eastfield Jn. | 10/06/2026

Real-time train running information for 4H31 1100 departure from Doncaster Down Decoy Gbrf to P'boro Eastfield Jn. on 10/06/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Realtime Trains | 4D32 1320 P'boro Eastfield Jn. to Doncaster Down Decoy Gbrf | 10/06/2026

Real-time train running information for 4D32 1320 departure from P'boro Eastfield Jn. to Doncaster Down Decoy Gbrf on 10/06/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Split 50 50 between ECML and Via Lincoln

 

[EastWest]

Usually when they space the wagons out like that it's to allow access for maintenance.

There was a 4V54 Southampton Maritime - Bristol on 30/03/26 which brought in 14 more FSA / FTA wagons.
The others in there are 18 FSA / FTA which arrived on a 4Z91 Southampton Maritime - Bristol on 26/07/23, and 9 FLA + 1 KFA which arrived from Basford Hall on 01/12/23 as a 4Z27.

There were also some other flats which arrived on 24/07/23 from Southampton Maritime, but these appear to have left the site since then - a YouTube video titled "Bristol Freightliner Railport; 70016 collects stored container flats" shows 70016 collecting a short rake of Freightliner flats for movement to Basford Hall as a 4M20 on 13/10/23.

So possibly a mixture of storage and maintenance taking place on site.

There was another move from Bristol last Friday, to “Marchwood F.L.T.”, presumably for storage there.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 4 Jun 2026 ==

My understanding is this is MOD related. I believe this last ran about 2020, I'm not aware of anything running since, but they do have rights.

Yes, I think that is the case and dates back to when DBC had the MOD contract, centred on Didcot Yard. Since GBRF took over most MOD terminals seem to be rarely (or never, in some cases) served these days and it’s just the core route between Marchwood/Southampton, Kineton and Bicester, and Longtown that sees anything (though there doesn’t appear to be anything this week).

 

[littledude]

There was another move from Bristol last Friday, to “Marchwood F.L.T.”, presumably for storage there.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 4 Jun 2026 ==


Yes, I think that is the case and dates back to when DBC had the MOD contract, centred on Didcot Yard. Since GBRF took over most MOD terminals seem to be rarely (or never, in some cases) served these days and it’s just the core route between Marchwood/Southampton, Kineton and Bicester, and Longtown that sees anything (though there doesn’t appear to be anything this week).

The wagons moved to Marchwood are for export to Ghana

 

[Tobytrain10]

Realtime Trains | 6X08 2344 Dollands Moor Sdgs to Hessle Va Ttuk Hub | 08/06/2026

Real-time train running information for 6X08 2344 departure from Dollands Moor Sdgs to Hessle Va Ttuk Hub on 08/06/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

First train to the new yard for HS2 in hull is running on tuesday

 

[Amos390]

Hi all, noticed that there are some new Freightliner Container flows on weekdays through Nottingham from Southampton M.C.T to Doncaster Europort and back (4E92 and 4O92), and that driver training has been going on on Sundays for the last few weeks, when is this flow expected to start does anyone know, as it'll be the first time in a very long time containers have come through Notts. I have attached some examples:
4O92 - https://live.rail-record.co.uk/train.php/?c=H00257&d=2026-05-29
4E92 - https://live.rail-record.co.uk/train.php/?c=H00255&d=2026-05-29

 

[Adrian Barr]

incidentally I noticed a week ago in Westbury Down Yd about 4 or 5 Immerys bulk clay bogie hoppers, presumably rather stranded there now, since the surviving Cornish Clay by rail traffic has been taken over from DBS by GBRf who no longer run the weekly Cliffe Vale and return train via Westbury ..so where is mtce of this Wagon Pool now done I wonder ?

Looks like it's now being done at Goonbarrow. Also of interest is that around the time of the handover from DB to GBRF (and quite likely continuing) there were a couple of loaded wagons from Goonbarrow on the Cliffe Vale trains. Normally the Cliffe Vale train is loaded roughly 50/50 from Par Harbour and Treviscoe, but after the base of operations moved from St Blazey to Goonbarrow, the empty working from Goonbarrow to either Par Harbour or Treviscoe could include a couple of wagons already loaded at Goonbarrow for onward movement to Cliffe Vale.

This photo of 66098 at Par Harbour before the GBRF takeover mentions the dryers here are planned to close this month, with clay drying then being done at Goonbarrow and Treviscoe, so possibly Goonbarrow will now replace Par Harbour as the origin of some of the clay on the Cliffe Vale workings:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/145100037@N05/55168338551/ (Photo: Clive Smith)

GBRF 66787 seen at Par Harbour in this nice shot on 1st April:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/nat37670/55181404868/ (Photo: Kernow Ned)

 

[Intercity_225]

There's an aggregates train to Stevenage today, any idea why?

Realtime Trains | 6E50 1243 Peterborough West Yard to Langley Redlands | 07/06/2026

Real-time train running information for 6E50 1243 departure from Peterborough West Yard to Langley Redlands on 07/06/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Realtime Trains | 4E50 1950 Langley Redlands to Peterborough West Yard | 07/06/2026

Real-time train running information for 4E50 1950 departure from Langley Redlands to Peterborough West Yard on 07/06/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[milooo]

There's an aggregates train to Stevenage today, any idea why?

Realtime Trains | 6E50 1243 Peterborough West Yard to Langley Redlands | 07/06/2026

Real-time train running information for 6E50 1243 departure from Peterborough West Yard to Langley Redlands on 07/06/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Realtime Trains | 4E50 1950 Langley Redlands to Peterborough West Yard | 07/06/2026

Real-time train running information for 4E50 1950 departure from Langley Redlands to Peterborough West Yard on 07/06/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

I noticed that. How often is Langley Redlands used?