Rail Freight Flows and News UK

[Freightmaster]

How often is Langley Redlands used?

It hasn't seen a stone train since March 2020!

 

[BRX]

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

What will this be carrying?

 

[Tobytrain10]

What will this be carrying?

Not sure, i think its things like rails and sleepers for HS2, pretty sure its mainly rails

 

[Bahnopa]

The rails for HS2 are being produced 'at home' in Scunthorpe, the imports via the Channel Tunnel to the works at Hull are turnouts and turnout components from, I understand, Voest-Alpine in Austria

 

[AndrewE]

The rails for HS2 are being produced 'at home' in Scunthorpe, the imports via the Channel Tunnel to the works at Hull are turnouts and turnout components from, I understand, Voest-Alpine in Austria

I wonder whether it will be an interesting consist, with vans for bundles and boxes of parts, besides bogie bolsters/flat wagons or shallow open wagons for rail lengths?

 

[Bahnopa]

Here you go....

Port of Hull a winner as HS2 hires voestalpine for turnout contract

The UK’s new High Speed 2 (HS2) rail project has commissioned voestalpine Railway Systems to supply critical components for the London to Birmingham line. The global leading supplier of complete railway systems, has won a significant contract worth around 210 million pounds (about 237 million...

www.railwaygazette.com

 

[Tobytrain10]

The rails for HS2 are being produced 'at home' in Scunthorpe, the imports via the Channel Tunnel to the works at Hull are turnouts and turnout components from, I understand, Voest-Alpine in Austria

Thanks, i wasnt really sure but i knew it was some sort of component for HS2

 

[AndrewE]

Here you go....

Port of Hull a winner as HS2 hires voestalpine for turnout contract

The UK’s new High Speed 2 (HS2) rail project has commissioned voestalpine Railway Systems to supply critical components for the London to Birmingham line. The global leading supplier of complete railway systems, has won a significant contract worth around 210 million pounds (about 237 million...

www.railwaygazette.com

That's nice to read and really good news for Hull, but I'm still wondering what the vehicles used will be?

 

[Adrian Barr]

I'm still wondering what the vehicles used will be?

Should be a mixture of 804736xxxx IGA and 843523xxxx IWA wagons. These types are bogie flats, with the IWAs being former vans, like the ones GBRF have used on their LUL stock moves (pale blue with 8 chunky stanchions down each side).

 

[BRX]

It seems to have been cancelled for tonight - am hoping this might mean it goes in daylight tomorrow instead...

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

 

[Tobytrain10]

It seems to have been cancelled for tonight - am hoping this might mean it goes in daylight tomorrow instead...

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

It already had 66192 allocated to it, and i had set my alarm for 4:30 so im a little agitated with it, i doubt ill be able to see it if it runs any other morning this week

 

[Ploughman]

Is the train going into what was the Tilcon Stone terminal or into the former Speedlink yard.

Has the area ben modified in the last 10 years?

 

[Bahnopa]

The former Speedlink yard, I think, as the Tilcon terminal is fully in use for stone traffic. I think that NR has been using the yard up to now.

 

[Freightmaster]

Has the area ben modified in the last 10 years?

The area where the new terminal is has been completely relaid/remodelled,
as can be seen in this Google Maps link:

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

maps.app.goo.gl

 

[BRX]

The area where the new terminal is has been completely relaid/remodelled,
as can be seen in this Google Maps link:

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

maps.app.goo.gl

So where will the actual assembly/construction process happen, somewhere directly on that site? There appears only to be a small temporary building although maybe the aerial view isn't up to date.

 

[Ploughman]

Back in about 1995 we relaid the track from Hessle East Jcn to the Open Crossing East of the Overbridge.
Initially we were going to straighten out the long curve by going straight across the yard, but this was vetoed the day before we were going to start. Railtrack said they had sold the yard but that never resulted in anything till now.
We had to relay as is instead but with a 5m max slew to ease the worst of the original alignment. We managed to get it down to stressing limits but the welders had a bad time of it trying to get lined up for welding. I recall that some of the welders were actually from York Welding School.

 

[nineteenninety]

Does anyone know what the situation is with the container port at Ditton O'Connor/Stobart rail? I went passed there the other day on the train and the tracks seemed to have the containers stacked on the tracks, I've also noticed according to RTT, Freightliner have been operating out of Widnes terminal. Is this the sidings further up from the Stobart terminal?

Realtime Trains | 4L52 2358 Widnes Freight Terminal Fl to London Gateway Frghtliner | 08/06/2026

Real-time train running information for 4L52 2358 departure from Widnes Freight Terminal Fl to London Gateway Frghtliner on 08/06/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[Tobytrain10]

Does anyone know what the situation is with the container port at Ditton O'Connor/Stobart rail? I went passed there the other day on the train and the tracks seemed to have the containers stacked on the tracks, I've also noticed according to RTT, Freightliner have been operating out of Widnes terminal. Is this the sidings further up from the Stobart terminal?

Realtime Trains | 4L52 2358 Widnes Freight Terminal Fl to London Gateway Frghtliner | 08/06/2026

Real-time train running information for 4L52 2358 departure from Widnes Freight Terminal Fl to London Gateway Frghtliner on 08/06/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

I thought it was just a real time trains renaiming thing, because gbrf one is still called ditton occonor, but if u saw containers on rails, im probably wrong in my assumption

 

[Adrian Barr]

Does anyone know what the situation is with the container port at Ditton O'Connor/Stobart rail? I went passed there the other day on the train and the tracks seemed to have the containers stacked on the tracks, I've also noticed according to RTT, Freightliner have been operating out of Widnes terminal. Is this the sidings further up from the Stobart terminal?

As per above post, I think the renaming to "Widnes Freight Terminal" is just a side-effect of the changes involved with the splitting of Freightliner and Heavy Haul. Not sure why they've gone with a new location in the system rather than renaming the old one, but the former O'Connors terminal is generally referred to as Widnes despite being previously known as "Ditton FLT" on schedules. I've seen a previous drone video where containers had been stacked on at least one of the sidings, but the terminal was still very much operational.

The other terminal at Ditton / Widnes are the sidings at Foundry Lane which were formerly used by the Novelis aluminium trains, but the facilities here are much more rudimentary.

66148 in the Foundry Lane terminal with the Novelis aluminium train in July 2024:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/32865578@N02/53878728189/ (Photo: John Eyres)

Road collections and deliveries here were also done by Stobart. Two videos linked below - drone footage of the Freightliner terminal, and unusual footage of the Foundry Lane terminal (with a train present) as seen from a lorry picking up aluminium coils which had arrived on the train. The bit with Foundry Lane starts at 32 min into the video. From other videos on that "Running Trucker" channel (filmed when the guy worked as a lorry driver for Stobarts), a regular but surprising destination for these coils was Goole Docks. The huge aluminium slabs can also be seen at Foundry Lane, which were brought in by road from the Novelis recycling plant at Latchford for dispatch by train to Germany to be rolled into coils.

Stobart Rail Hub Widnes | The drone biker

Britvic Multi-Drop & Coil Collection | The Running Trucker [**watch from 32 min onwards for footage of Foundry Lane**]

I was never totally clear about what was on it or whether there were two different cargoes on it - it was half cargowaggons and half curtain sided containers but maybe both had the same thing inside. As I understood it aluminum ingots from uk to germany and then the back load was aluminium coil like you say...for Jaguar Landrover (for whom some of the containers were branded). I think the stuff for jaguar landrover got offloaded at Daventry and then the train continued on to Ditton? But I always wondered if the whole train went on to ditton or just half of it.

The northbound Novelis train (usually running as 6M13) dropped off the rear half of the train, consisting of FIA / IFA wagons, at Daventry. The curtain-sided swapbodies contained material for Jaguar Land Rover - judging from the video linked below I think it was unloaded in a warehouse on site at Daventry for onward "just in time" despatch by road to the plants in the West Midlands. The train would pick up a different set of IFA / FIA wagons, with empty containers, which had been detached from the previous train. The IWA vans contained coils which were unloaded at Ditton. I'd assumed these were also Jaguar related and ultimately destined for Halewood, but as mentioned above the main destination for coils arriving at Foundry Lane seems to have been Goole Docks. At Ditton the train was backloaded with the large aluminium slabs (about 27 tons each) which could be loaded in both the vans and the containers. The southbound working did not call at Daventry.

Novelis and JLR Deliver Sustainable Aluminum Transportation Solution | Novelis

 

[Freightmaster]

As per above post, I think the renaming to "Widnes Freight Terminal" is just a side-effect of the changes involved with the splitting of Freightliner and Heavy Haul. Not sure why they've gone with a new location in the system rather than renaming the old one,

Freightliner stopped serving the O'Conner terminal a couple of months ago, with their two daily trains
moving to the former Foundry Lane sidings, which they probably thought sounded a bit naff, hence the
name change!

 

[Rhysdabeast]

I believe Newell and Wright Transport have something to do with the move to Foundry Lane, not listed on the website yet but appears on Google Maps, also there are a few job listings up for positions in Widnes. A mate of mine who passes quite regularly has been updating me each time I've met up with him, if I recall correctly a hard standing went in near the start of the year with the gantry cranes coming shortly after. Been in use for at least a month maybe two at a push so far. Not really heard anything else about it, but I also noticed the name change a few weeks ago for the FL services.

 

[Adrian Barr]

Freightliner stopped serving the O'Conner terminal a couple of months ago, with their two daily trains moving to the former Foundry Lane sidings

I believe Newell and Wright Transport have something to do with the move to Foundry Lane... if I recall correctly a hard standing went in near the start of the year with the gantry cranes coming shortly after.

Very interesting... thanks. It's not a very spacious site for a container terminal, but I suppose it's not too different in size to their existing terminals at Rotherham and Tinsley.

 

[nineteenninety]

Thank you for the response and clarity on that. I wonder why Freightliner have reduced their trains there so much, I'm sure there used to be at least 4 trains into Ditton a day a few years ago.

 

[Class15]

Thank you for the response and clarity on that. I wonder why Freightliner have reduced their trains there so much, I'm sure there used to be at least 4 trains into Ditton a day a few years ago.

I’m not 100% sure why but it seemed to be really badly affected by the Maersk switch a year or so ago. There were 3 trains from Felixstowe a few years back, this went down to 2 at some point in the last few years and then down to 1 (with a further split train coming off the Gateway - Coatbridge at Crewe) - a significant decline there.

According to RTT+ the following worked into Ditton in 2021:
4M89 Felixstowe (16:13) to Ditton (04:05)
4M73 Felixstowe (21:41) to Ditton (05:36)
4M88 Felixstowe (09:32) to Ditton (19:41)

and out of:
4K40 Ditton (01:18) to Crewe (03:25) forming into 4L89 Crewe (04:10) to Felixstowe (13:04)
4L92 Ditton (14:03) to Felixstowe (00:29)
4L82 (?) Ditton (21:30) to Felixstowe (07:23)

In late 2024, into Ditton:
4M42 Felixstowe (21:52) to Ditton (06:15)
4M88 Felixstowe (09:32) to Ditton (19:46)

and out of:
4K40 Ditton (01:00) to Crewe (02:52) forming into 4L89 Crewe (04:09) to Felixstowe (13:04)
4L92 Ditton (13:49) to Felixstowe (00:27)


….even from then, it’s been a decline. It’s a shame to see this.

 

[Tobytrain10]

I’m not 100% sure why but it seemed to be really badly affected by the Maersk switch a year or so ago. There were 3 trains from Felixstowe a few years back, this went down to 2 at some point in the last few years and then down to 1 (with a further split train coming off the Gateway - Coatbridge at Crewe) - a significant decline there.

According to RTT+ the following worked into Ditton in 2021:
4M89 Felixstowe (16:13) to Ditton (04:05)
4M73 Felixstowe (21:41) to Ditton (05:36)
4M88 Felixstowe (09:32) to Ditton (19:41)

and out of:
4K40 Ditton (01:18) to Crewe (03:25) forming into 4L89 Crewe (04:10) to Felixstowe (13:04)
4L92 Ditton (14:03) to Felixstowe (00:29)
4L82 (?) Ditton (21:30) to Felixstowe (07:23)

In late 2024, into Ditton:
4M42 Felixstowe (21:52) to Ditton (06:15)
4M88 Felixstowe (09:32) to Ditton (19:46)

and out of:
4K40 Ditton (01:00) to Crewe (02:52) forming into 4L89 Crewe (04:09) to Felixstowe (13:04)
4L92 Ditton (13:49) to Felixstowe (00:27)


….even from then, it’s been a decline. It’s a shame to see this.

Is there less garston freight aswell?

 

[37069]

As per above post, I think the renaming to "Widnes Freight Terminal" is just a side-effect of the changes involved with the splitting of Freightliner and Heavy Haul. Not sure why they've gone with a new location in the system rather than renaming the old one, but the former O'Connors terminal is generally referred to as Widnes despite being previously known as "Ditton FLT" on schedules. I've seen a previous drone video where containers had been stacked on at least one of the sidings, but the terminal was still very much operational.

It can join the likes of "York Thrall Europa" (which closed in 2002 and has been Network Rail's York Holgate Works since 2009) or "Sellafield BNF" (which transitioned to NDA ownership in 2005) in the ranks of long-extinct railway names still used by enthusiasts because they blindly believe what shows up on timetable websites as nobody bothered to change the TOPS location names (or even get rid of ones that were turned into retail parks decades ago).

 

[j37401]

It can join the likes of "York Thrall Europa" (which closed in 2002 and has been Network Rail's York Holgate Works since 2009) or "Sellafield BNF" (which transitioned to NDA ownership in 2005) in the ranks of long-extinct railway names still used by enthusiasts because they blindly believe what shows up on timetable websites as nobody bothered to change the TOPS location names (or even get rid of ones that were turned into retail parks decades ago).

FL should have saved any confusion and just used Ditton Foundry Lane FLT rather than Widnes Freight Terminal. Although the latter sounds a bit more modern and upmarket! The old location used by EWS / DB had AHC in the name which is the only defunct bit as it is still foundry lane sidings. I wonder if this confuses the signallers at the ROC when routing trains into either terminal..

 

[class442]

Should be a mixture of 804736xxxx IGA and 843523xxxx IWA wagons. These types are bogie flats, with the IWAs being former vans, like the ones GBRF have used on their LUL stock moves (pale blue with 8 chunky stanchions down each side).

6X08 is operating with RT3973 form LDS036EXL, which is for BQA/IGA/IGB/YEA wagons loaded with continuous welded rail. Would be interesting to know if this is actually the case, if the yard is meant for turnout components.

 

[HST125Scorton]

Does anyone know if the GBRf Drax Aes to Tyne Coal Terminal Vv services have ended or on a break? I've noticed non have seem to ran lately normally used to get a handful of services a day. Any info would be greatful.

 

[Freightmaster]

Does anyone know if the GBRf Drax Aes to Tyne Coal Terminal Vv services have ended or on a break?

I think it's just down to being the time of year when demand for electricity is fairly low,
so Drax can get sufficient biomass from it's 'preferred' sources of Liverpool and Immingham.

I've noticed none have seem to ran lately normally used to get a handful of services a day.

There is still the odd train, like this one last Friday:

Realtime Trains | 6H12 0624 Tyne Coal Terminal Gbrf to Drax Aes (Gbrf) | 12/06/2026

Real-time train running information for 6H12 0624 departure from Tyne Coal Terminal Gbrf to Drax Aes (Gbrf) on 12/06/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

...and Tyne Dock is still supplying several trains day of biomass to Lynemouth power station.