Pinus contorta
Member
It took a few goes to get the property PDF to open /work- try copying and pasting the link to another browser perhaps?
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DB Cargo UK being sold
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mr_moo
Member
Got it now - thanks.
Adrian Barr
Member
It seems that Dollands Moor is still owned by DB Cargo, as per a quote from February this year when discussing the plans for Barking. When mentioning Dollands Moor, a DB spokesman said they have "no plans to withdraw from or dispose of this site." Presumably they wouldn't be in a position to dispose of a site they didn't own.
I think it's now part of government legislation that locations such as Dollands Moor must have fair and transparent conditions for open access by other hauliers, although I haven't looked into the details. It can also be a good business opportunity, since access charges are levied when haulier A uses yards and sidings operated by haulier B.
https://www.orr.gov.uk/search-news/access-service-facilities
GBRF use Dollands Moor for water trains to Daventry. The haulage contract from Frethun / Dollands to Daventry is shared with DB, with the haulier varying depending on the day of the week. For convenience, the DB 92s and the GBRF tunnel locos 92032 / 92044 currently operate as a common pool for use through the tunnel between Dollands and Frethun. GBRF have also used Dollands Moor for movements of new wagons built in Europe, such as the new VTG / Mendip Rail box wagons which have been coming into the UK recently (hauled by 92032 or 92044 as far as Wembley - the common-user approach to the 92s only applies through the tunnel itself).
A 2013 parliamentary report does mention the potential sale of Dollands Moor to Network Rail, but it wasn't included in the list of locations that NR purchased in 2014 and I haven't heard of any changes in ownership since then - possibly the 2016 changes to the legislation on open access to freight locations made ownership of the yard less of a concern.
The section of the website discussing "locations and access" is a better guide to the UK sites operated by DB Cargo:
https://uk.dbcargo.com/rail-uk-en/services/locations-and-access
On that page is a link to an excel document, from which I've summarised the locations in the list below. Although at least some of these locations are likely to be leased, it gives a rough indication of the operational sites that DB own.
I've also included a separate list of rail freight sites which Network Rail purchased in 2014 (many from DB). It's possible that some locations could appear in both lists.
============================================================
Operational railway locations operated by DB Cargo for which 3rd party access is available:
*N.B. This list may include locations which are leased by DB Cargo, in addition to locations owned by DB Cargo, making ownership uncertain*
Aberdeen Raiths Farm
Acton Yard
Battersea Loop Sidings
Bow East
Briton Ferry Yard
Burton-on-Trent WRD and New Wetmore Sidings - Down East Yard
Cardiff Tidal Yard
Chesterton Junction
Crewe IEMD
Cricklewood Aggregates Terminal
Dee Marsh Reception Sidings
Didcot TMD
Didcot Yard
Dollands Moor EFOC
Doncaster Down Belmont Yard
Doncaster Up Decoy Yard
Elgin Goods Yard
Exeter Riverside Yard
Falkland Down Yard
Falkland Up and South Yard
Ferryhill Up Yard
Goole Yard
Goonbarrow Sidings
Grangemouth Terminal
Hamilton Earnock Sidings
Hanwell Bridge Sidings
Hither Green Bramdean Sidings
Hither Green TMD
Hoo Junction Down Yard
Hoo Junction Up Yard
Huntly
Immingham TMD and Sorting Sidings
Kingsbury Yard
Knottingley TMD
Langley Terminal
Laurencekirk Sidings
Liverpool Crown Street Holding Sidings (Edge Hill, Spekeland Road)
Margam Knuckle Yard
Micheldever Oil Terminal Sidings
Milford Down Yard
Milford West Yard
Mossend Down Yard & Down South Yard
Neasden Engineers Sidings
Newbiggin (Kirkby Thore) Sidings
Newport (AD Junction) - (Courtybella) Mendalgief Sidings
Newport (AD Junction) Field and West Sidings
Newport (AD Junction) Low Level Sidings
Northwich Terminal Complex
Oxford Hinksey Yard
Peak Forest Sidings and TMD
Peterborough TMD & Spittal Yard
Peterborough West Yard
Redhill Loco Sidings
Ripple Lane (Barking Stora Sidings)
Ripple Lane (Harry's Sidings)
Ripple Lane West Yard
Rotherham Steel Terminal
Scunthorpe Goods Yard
Scunthorpe Trent Sidings
Shirebrook WH Davis Branch Line
Southall Yard
St Blazey TMD
St Blazey Yard
St Pancras Churchyard Sidings
Sunderland Londonderry Sidings
Swindon Highworth Sidings
Tees Yard
Telford International Railfreight Terminal
Thornton Yard
Tinsley Yard
Toton North Down Yard
Toton Stapleford Ballast Sidings
Toton TMD
Toton Up Yard
Toton, Stapleford & Sandiacre Goods Yard
Trafford Park Sidings [note: includes the Euroterminal currently operated by Maritime for container traffic, but not the separate Freightliner terminal]
Tyne Yard
Warrington Arpley
Warrington Dallam
Warrington MSC Holdings Sidings
Washwood Heath Up Sidings
Wembley European Freight Operating Centre (WEFOC) [note: A fan, B group sidings, C fan* are operated by DB. Reception sidings 1-7 were sold to NR in 2014.] *C fan leased to LOROL
Westbury Down and Up Yards
Willesden Brent Sidings
Wolverhampton Steel Terminal
Workington Down Holding Sidings
Worksop Down Reception Sidings
Worksop Up Concentration Sidings
==========================================
Network Rail: 2014 freight site acquisitions
In 2014, Network Rail purchased "more than 100 key rail freight sites" - see list below taken from the following link:
https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-and-commercial/rail-freight/move-my-freight-by-rail/
For more info (including plans showing the extent of each property) scroll down that linked page to the section headed "Mountfield Deal" and click on "Acquisition of freight sites by route."
Note: In the list below, company name after the location is the seller (mostly DB, but also some Freightliner and GBRF locations)
1 Aberdeen Waterloo Good Yard DB Schenker
2 Acton FY DB Schenker [FY = Foster Yeoman]
3 Angerstein DB Schenker
4 Ardingly DB Schenker
5 Banbury DB Schenker
6 Basingstoke Up DB Schenker
7 Bevois Park, Southampton DB Schenker
8 Biggleswade Plasmor DB Schenker
9 Bletchley RMC DB Schenker
10 Botley DB Schenker
11 Bow Midland East DB Schenker
12 Bow Midland West DB Schenker
13 Brentford DB Schenker
14 Brierley Hill DB Schenker
15 Bristol East DB Schenker
16 Burngullow DB Schenker
17 Bury St Edmunds DB Schenker
18 Calvert DB Schenker
19 Chelmsford Down Yard DB Schenker
20 Chichester North DB Schenker
21 Colnbrook Oil Terminal DB Schenker
22 Crawley New Yard DB Schenker
23 Crewe South Yard DB Schenker
24 Dalston Fuel Depot DB Schenker
25 Dewsbury Cement Terminal DB Schenker
26 Doncaster Down Decoy DB Schenker
27 Doncaster Up Decoy (part) DB Schenker
28 Eastleigh FY DB Schenker
29 Fareham DB Schenker
30 Fowey Docks DB Schenker
31 Grantham DB Schenker
32 Handsworth Queens Head Siding DB Schenker
33 Harlow Mill DB Schenker
34 Hothfield DB Schenker
35 Hull Dairycoates DB Schenker
36 Ipswich Upper Yard DB Schenker
37 Kennet DB Schenker
38 Leeds Marsh Lane DB Schenker
39 Leeds Stourton - Industrial Estate DB Schenker
40 Leeds Stourton - Upside DB Schenker
41 Llandudno Jcn DB Schenker
42 Longport Up DB Schenker
43 Luton Leagrave Rd DB Schenker
44 Manchester Ashburys DB Schenker
45 March DB Schenker
46 Marks Tey DB Schenker
47 Middlebrough Goods Yard DB Schenker
48 Netherfield DB Schenker
49 Newhaven DB Schenker
50 Northenden DB Schenker
51 Northolt DB Schenker
52 Norwich Thorpe DB Schenker
53 Norwich Trowse DB Schenker
54 Park Royal Marcon DB Schenker
55 Parkeston Quay DB Schenker
56 Peak Forest Down Sidings DB Schenker
57 Peterborough Westwood Yard DB Schenker
58 Purley Goods Yard DB Schenker
59 Salford Hope Street DB Schenker
60 Salfords, Redhill DB Schenker
61 Sheffield Attercliffe DB Schenker
62 Shrewsbury Crewe bank DB Schenker
63 Slough, Redlands DB Schenker
64 Stevenage DB Schenker
65 Stewarts Lane Marcon DB Schenker
66 Stewarts Lane TMD (part) DB Schenker
67 Stoke ECC DB Schenker
68 Swindon Hawksworth DB Schenker
69 Theale DB Schenker
70 Thorney Mill DB Schenker
71 Tolworth DB Schenker
72 Totton DB Schenker
73 Tuebrook DB Schenker
74 Wakefield Kirkgate DB Schenker
75 Walsall Midland Yard DB Schenker
76 Watford Junction ACE DB Schenker
77 Wembley EFOC (part) DB Schenker
78 West Drayton DB Schenker
79 Willesden Distillers DB Schenker
80 Willesden PO Terminal DB Schenker
81 Woking DB Schenker
82 Wootton Bassett DB Schenker
83 York Down DB Schenker
84 York Up DB Schenker
85 York WRD DB Schenker
86 Willesden - Old Oak DB Schenker
87 Willesden - Ferrous DB Schenker
88 Aberdeen Craiginches Freightliner
89 Angerstein Wharf Freightliner
90 Bath Westmoreland Freightliner
91 Bristol Barrow Road Freightliner
92 Cricklewood Freightliner
93 Dagenham Freightliner
94 Dewsbury Freightliner
95 Inverness Needlefield Freightliner
96 Luton Crescent Road Freightliner
97 Middlesbrough Freightliner
98 Neasden Freightliner
99 Penmaenmawr Freightliner
100 Roxby Gullet Freightliner
101 Theale Freightliner
102 Thorney Mill Freightliner
103 North Walsham GBRf
104 Parkston Quay GBRf
105 Tallington GBRf
Merle Haggard
Established Member
An observation I would like to make is that RfD were asked by the Dept to identify which of their terminals they wanted to make 'open access'. Asked, not instructed.
The decision was taken to make all of them open access.
This did not go down well with some terminal managers who had been able to plan train access in terms of workload and resources when all was under RfD control but then found themselves in the situation where the other operators were just sending traffic with little warning.
In the current day, I have been given to understand that there is a dispute about exact land ownership between DB and NR at one terminal. Sometimes, when the owner does not use their property doubts may arise and an opportunity is taken. Long ago, it merely consisted of adjacent householders unilaterally and in concert extending their gardens onto seemingly derelict BR property.
The decision was taken to make all of them open access.
This did not go down well with some terminal managers who had been able to plan train access in terms of workload and resources when all was under RfD control but then found themselves in the situation where the other operators were just sending traffic with little warning.
In the current day, I have been given to understand that there is a dispute about exact land ownership between DB and NR at one terminal. Sometimes, when the owner does not use their property doubts may arise and an opportunity is taken. Long ago, it merely consisted of adjacent householders unilaterally and in concert extending their gardens onto seemingly derelict BR property.
Ed Burkhardt is getting a lot of flack on this thread but he was only in charge of the business for four years until July 1999, and therefore hasn’t been involved for over 27 years. I don’t doubt he made a lot of mistakes but the subsequent managers and owners are surely just as much to blame for the situation the business now finds itself. If not more so as at the turn of the century the business had a large fleet of reasonably reliable, new and nearly new locos (replacing over 1000 30-40 year old locos) and were investing in new rolling stock and other assets. The prospects were good. Under DB the business seems to have spent the last 20 years at best completely stagnated and at worst in total decline while other FOCs have invested in new rolling stock, technology, and other assets.
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Wavertreelad
Member
- Joined
- 24 Feb 2013
- Messages
- 809
As a complete outsider, could that lack of investment be in part due to the fact that parent was a state owned entity and may have been limited to the amount it invested in the business whilst their competitors were all owned by investment entities who were able to raise funds for new rolling stock? I believe back in the 1990's the parent Deutche Bahn was being prepared for a stock market listing following the merger of the east and west German networks. As a result there was a cutback in maintenance across the network in order to get the books looking lean whilst at the same spending billions on expanding it's logistics (DB Schenker) and bus networks (ie Arriva).As the years elasped the maintainence back log built up, presumably eating up funds for further investment including in it's overseas subsidiaries.
Davester50
Member
How much has the demise of coal had to their business? It's not like there's been anything that bulk has replaced it, steel has had a reduction and the UK has de-industrialised considerably.
Wasn't there an increase in biomass?
Merle Haggard
Established Member
Correlation doesn't mean causation but ...
In those 4 years EWS went from having 100% of freight (not intermodal) rail business to somewhat less.
New FOCs increased their share of rail freight from, obviously, 0% at the time of the formation of EWS (from the 3 trainload companies).
The interesting question is; why did EWS lose business? Where does the blame lie?
Once EWS had lost business to its new competitors it would be hard for its successors to re-gain it.
I don't know the answers to the questions and uncertainties but I am firmly of the opinion that the management from Wisconsin Central did not fully understand the different conditions under which freight trains are operated in Britain compared to in North America, and that was at least part of the reason for the decline
Davester50
Member
I don't know, but I can't imagine it was anything like the levels of coal traffic.
Herriot2021
Member
This is my take as well. Regardless of what thinks about Burkhardt, he has been out of the business for far longer than he was ever a part of it.
DH1Commuter
Member
- Joined
- 28 Jun 2018
- Messages
- 96
Agreed; the number of biomass plants and ports is dwarfed by the numbers of coal plants and mines when EWS came in.
Even accounting for those scheduled to close in the late 90s, biomass doesn’t come close. As someone who lived under the Durham viaduct in the 2000s it was normal to have multiple coal trains daily, more in the winter, en route to and from the Yorks power stations. Biomass? Maybe a couple.
Direct Rail Services was created in 1994, almost two years before EWS. GB Railfreight was created in April 1999 and Freightliner Heavy Haul wasn’t formed until January 2000, six months after Burkhardt left. Advenza Freight were created in 2001 and Colas not until 2007. EWS market share was fundamentally unchanged during the years he was in charge. As I say I don’t doubt he made mistakes (especially cultural ones) with regards to running the business, but there have clearly been even more, bigger issues since, overseen by other owners and managers.
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Merle Haggard
Established Member
Yes, fair enough but DRS was a bit of a special case - set up primarily for nuclear traffic possibly to keep that under Govt. control, its other traffic marginal.
I don't think I'm breaking any confidences by saying that an MD of FHH (I think from their set-up, not absolutely sure) was someone who was GM of an RfD business sector when Burkhardt took over. I'll leave it at that.
On the subject of cultural mistakes one of Ed's more memorable quotes was on a visit to mainland Europe to a conference of the UIC railways with the aim of motivating them to encourage more traffic through the Channel Tunnel, To the mainland European countries' railways international traffic to GB was a lot of effort for not a lot of receipts - all divided up between participating railways according to rules - so it would have been an uphill struggle anyway. Certainly one for silver-tongued persuasion.
He began his speech with the following statement, 'The Americans sorted out Europe in 1945, looks like we're gonna have to do it all again'.
That’s all fine and dandy but it’s been over 27 years. In that time EWS has gone from something like a stable 80-90% market share (and a 40% rise in tonne miles in four years) to its current circa 20%. You cannot continually blame this decline on one man who was CEO for four years, three decades ago. It almost feels like a personal vendetta at this point.
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Merle Haggard
Established Member
You make the valid point that the decline of the direct successors to EWS have continued to decline and on reflection that is a very valid point.
I can see why you raised the subject of a personal vendetta. As the CEO he had of course the right to make the changes that he believed were necessary. However, some of his decisions seemed to be based, imo, on opinions formed seemingly some time before the takeover - let alone before having the opportunity to understand the business & political environment - that embraced wide-ranging prejudices. When, furthermore, those decisions are carried out in an insensitive - to put it mildly - way, that itself could be regarded as a vendetta, though a very widely-targeted one. But two vendettas don't cancel out to make it right, I know.
Personally, and in an unexpected way, I did very well out of the EWS takeover, and my remarks about Burkhardt's way of 'making friends and influencing people' are for idle entertainment. I hold no grudge against him, and I even have (albeit slight) sympathy for the way he (and his acolytes like Jim) were, from the information at a staff briefing, all instantly dismissed on the spot about 10 o'clock one morning We never thought we'd outlast Ed, but we did!
It was to me a disappointment that, having been constrained by operating in the nationalised environment the high hopes I had for the opportunity created by privatisation shaking off those shackles and expanding rail freight foundered. Having new locos. that worked very reliably from delivery was an excellent start. But it soon all went very sour.