A long way round.

[Bullfield WEst]

Tonight 6E16 Knowsley - Wilton Efw Binliner trial working is running and according to http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/H38482/2016/06/17/advanced it will take the route from Wigan Wallgate to Rochdale via Hartford Jcn. This is 70m 22ch when the direct route via Walkden is 28m 28ch.
Is there a very good reason to route it that way?

 

[Segedunum]

I'd assume for reasons of capacity. Easier to keep it out of the way of passenger trains via Walkden and to stop it running through Manchester Victoria.

 

[D1009]

I'd assume for reasons of capacity. Easier to keep it out of the way of passenger trains via Walkden and to stop it running through Manchester Victoria.

Yes, that route seems to be the Trans Pennine freight route of the future.

 

[DarloRich]

Tonight 6E16 Knowsley - Wilton Efw Binliner trial working is running and according to http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/H38482/2016/06/17/advanced it will take the route from Wigan Wallgate to Rochdale via Hartford Jcn. This is 70m 22ch when the direct route via Walkden is 28m 28ch.
Is there a very good reason to route it that way?

who knows - Capacity? Engineering blocks? available paths? route knowledge?

It isn't really an issue - freight drivers often go the long way round!

 

[Segedunum]

Doesn't seem to matter anyway. It's been non reported between Golborne Jn and Thorpes Bridge Jn and gone from 41L to 60E. Took a shortcut anyway it seems

 

[D1009]

Yes, the difference between what you can plan and what you can do in practice.

 

[XDM]

Going the very long way round will reduce the decline in freight tonne miles moved by rail and stem the desperate decline in rail's share of the freight market.
Crossrail's tunnel spoil travelling from the Paddington portal to Northfleet gave a similar boost to annual rail tonne miles. Instead of the loco running round in Acton yard it added an extra,at a guess,18 miles by going all the way round via Greenford & Ealing. Probably burnt an extra 90 litres of diesel as a result,but incidentally made rail's carryings look better. The motive, though, was to avoid a shunter at acton yard.

 

[Freightmaster]

...to stop it running through Manchester Victoria.

Not just Victoria itself, but Miles Platting bank, which is why all the
loaded biomass trains from Liverpool to Drax run via Northwich.


MARK

 

[Wandering pete]

Short cut had to be via Chat Moss and through Victoria..then up the bank to Miles Platting...a challenge if fully loaded

 

[Shaw S Hunter]

Short cut had to be via Chat Moss and through Victoria..then up the bank to Miles Platting...a challenge if fully loaded

 

[Wandering pete]

A good point..well made...although the Brindle Heath workings look to have a trailing load of 1600 tonnes compared to 2000 for the Knowsley train.
Attached shows the Wilton-Knowsley working approaching Walkden on Friday 16 th June