Freight on the Railways

[Masbroughlad]

Can anybody provide a summary answer of freight train operators on the network please?

Are the main companies DB, GBRf, DCR, Freightliner, DRS?

What are their main flows and what do they carry? Are they all train load rather than wagon load? Does the option to transport small amounts of freight by rail no longer exist?

Is there a summary website for freight?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Freightmaster]

Can anybody provide a summary answer of freight train operators on the network please?

Are the main companies DB, GBRf, DCR, Freightliner, DRS?

Yes - and Colas.

What are their main flows and what do they carry?

All sorts!

But these days, the four main flows (excluding departmental/engineers trains) are:

- intermodal
- construction materials (aggregate/sand/cement)
- metals (steel/scrap)
- biomass


On any given day, around 80% of 'revenue earning' freight services fall into one of the above categories,
but there are plenty of other commodities carried by rail, including:

- timber
- china clay
- automotive (cars/vans)
- petroleum products
- nuclear waste
- domestic waste
- industrial waste (spoil)
- industrial sand (for glass making)
- bottled water
- gypsum
- alumina
- MoD stores

Are they all train load rather than wagon load? Does the option to transport small amounts of freight by rail no longer exist?

Unfortunately, there is no longer a wagonload network, a la 'Speedlink' or 'Enterprise' in this country as it simply isn't profitable.

Is there a summary website for freight?

Depends what you are after - my site (Freightmaster) has over 100 manually curated freight timetables,
updated on a daily basis, which expand on the basic schedule data available from RTT by adding extra
details such as FOC, type of train, loaded/empty, usual motive power, usual running days, etc.




MARK

 

[Scanderina]

Can anybody provide a summary answer of freight train operators on the network please?

Are the main companies DB, GBRf, DCR, Freightliner, DRS?

What are their main flows and what do they carry? Are they all train load rather than wagon load? Does the option to transport small amounts of freight by rail no longer exist?

Is there a summary website for freight?

Thanks in advance.

In terms of a summary website - Rail Freight Group do a good job representing the industry: https://rfg.org.uk/

 

[Masbroughlad]

Yes - and Colas.




All sorts!

But these days, the four main flows (excluding departmental/engineers trains) are:

- intermodal
- construction materials (aggregate/sand/cement)
- metals (steel/scrap)
- biomass


On any given day, around 80% of 'revenue earning' freight services fall into one of the above categories,
but there are plenty of other commodities carried by rail, including:

- timber
- china clay
- automotive (cars/vans)
- petroleum products
- nuclear waste
- domestic waste
- industrial waste (spoil)
- industrial sand (for glass making)
- bottled water
- gypsum
- alumina
- MoD stores





Unfortunately, there is no longer a wagonload network, a la 'Speedlink' or 'Enterprise' in this country as it simply isn't profitable.




Depends what you are after - my site (Freightmaster) has over 100 manually curated freight timetables,
updated on a daily basis, which expand on the basic schedule data available from RTT by adding extra
details such as FOC, type of train, loaded/empty, usual motive power, usual running days, etc.




MARK

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 7 Aug 2025 ==

That is very helpful. Thank you very much.

Real shame that small loads aren't viable these days. And am I right in saying GBR will have no responsibility for freight?

 

[Millsy_2102]

Are the main companies DB, GBRf, DCR, Freightliner, DRS

The ones I see the most are GBRf, DB and Colas. Hope this helps!

 

[ac6000cw]

Does the option to transport small amounts of freight by rail no longer exist?

The closest it gets is probably the intermodal network i.e. freight in containers, with the terminals being the modern equivalent of the old large goods yards (which basically served as transfer points between rail and road transport). While most of the intermodal train network is to & from the deep-sea ports, there are some non-maritime services like Daventry - Mossend.

But in reality, in the UK the short distances most freight travels and the short distances between major population centres makes a lot of it a much better/more economical fit for road transport. Rail needs long/heavy block trains involving minimal staff and high rolling stock utilisation to be competitive (intermodal trains are block trains between the terminals).

 

[Oxfordblues]

Even the mighty DB-Cargo in Germany is struggling to make wagonload economically-viable: https://trans.info/en/db-cargo-single-wagonload-415710

It seems the future for less-than-trainload lies in the domestic intermodal network with boxes transferred between trains at key terminals such as Daventry and Mossend.

 

[The Planner]

Real shame that small loads aren't viable these days. And am I right in saying GBR will have no responsibility for freight?

No, freight is effectively open access so GBR has little influence.

 

[Tazi Hupefi]

The one missing from this is parcels traffic.

Royal Mail abandoned the railways fairly recently.

However, there are operators like Varamis that do (or did) convert old passenger trains to convey express parcels and mail traffic between Scotland/Midlands/London. However, their financial situation is shaky, I believe.

Some passenger operators also convey small amounts of "freight" in passenger accommodation, normally stuff like NHS samples and I believe human tissue in some instances, as well as other smaller parcels/mail. Caledonian Sleeper also used to convey fish to London, and still does convey small amounts of bits and pieces.

 

[ac6000cw]

It seems the future for less-than-trainload lies in the domestic intermodal network with boxes transferred between trains at key terminals such as Daventry and Mossend.

BR came to that conclusion 60 years ago when it launched the original Freightliner services (and invested money in terminals all over the country, some of which didn't last that long). Originally that network was focused on internal domestic, not deep-sea traffic.

 

[zwk500]

The one missing from this is parcels traffic.

Royal Mail abandoned the railways fairly recently.

Royal Mail abandoned having it's own dedicated fleet, maintenance of which it was responsible for. It was also faced with the impeding replacement of the fleet. In all the press releases, they stated clearly that parcels would still be moving by rail, just on conventional commercial services not dedicated RM paths. Details were unclear, but Swapbodies lifted onto a class 4 intermodal would be an obvious way to do it.

Royal Mail to stop using its own freight trains after almost 200 years

Company to decommission its remaining trains, with plans to increase amount of post it moves by road

www.theguardian.com

A Royal Mail spokesperson said it was becoming difficult to secure parts for maintenance and, after reviewing plans to acquire new trains, it was decided that using other commercial rail services and increasing road deliveries was a better option.

 

[Class15]

The ones I see the most are GBRf, DB and Colas. Hope this helps!

It depends on the area I guess. I tend to see the following:

Freightliner on Intermodal, Stone and Cement trains
DBC on limited intermodals to London Gateway and China Clay sand trains between Bow and Cornwall
GBRf on various things, such as intermodals and the ‘Ford’ car train
DRS on the ‘Tesco’ train
DCR on occasional spoil trains to Purfleet

I’m not sure I’ve ever seen Colas on my patch, but they do work several engineering trains, and the timber train from Carlisle to Chirk.

 

[Trainbike46]

Royal Mail abandoned having it's own dedicated fleet, maintenance of which it was responsible for. It was also faced with the impeding replacement of the fleet. In all the press releases, they stated clearly that parcels would still be moving by rail, just on conventional commercial services not dedicated RM paths. Details were unclear, but Swapbodies lifted onto a class 4 intermodal would be an obvious way to do it.

Royal Mail to stop using its own freight trains after almost 200 years

Company to decommission its remaining trains, with plans to increase amount of post it moves by road

www.theguardian.com

Is royal mail transporting anything by rail, or making plans to do so?

I may be a bit cynical but I always interpreted these statements as lying in an attempt to reduce negative opinions

 

[Tazi Hupefi]

Is royal mail transporting anything by rail, or making plans to do so?

I may be a bit cynical but I always interpreted these statements as lying in an attempt to reduce negative opinions

They were lying - they did completely abandon the railways, regardless of what they said.

Some of the Class 325s were also fine - to the point that another operator is/was interested in them and planning to refurbish, except for financial issues which now appear to have affected the business.

 

[Trainbike46]

They were lying - they did completely abandon the railways, regardless of what they said.

Some of the Class 325s were also fine - to the point that another operator is/was interested in them and planning to refurbish, except for financial issues which now appear to have affected the business.

Frankly, that is what I expected.

I do hope Varamis can sort themselves out and return to services.

Maybe they could even transport mail and parcels for royal mail, as well as their recent customers, in the future, though I think that is unlikely.

 

[DerekC]

. And am I right in saying GBR will have no responsibility for freight?

GBR will have no responsibility for operating freight trains, but they will be overall responsible (via Network Rail) for the infrastructure that carries them and for providing freight paths. Presumably ORR will continue to hold the balance between directly operated passenger and other (freight and open access passenger) services as they do now.

 

[Dr Hoo]

They were lying - they did completely abandon the railways, regardless of what they said.

I’m sure I’ve heard that they might use containers between Daventry and Scotland. These would travel in modest numbers on existing ‘supermarket’ trains, (not necessarily in bright red boxes).

 

[Millsy_2102]

I’m not sure I’ve ever seen Colas on my patch, but they do work several engineering trains, and the timber train from Carlisle to Chirk.

I quite often see Colas class 37s along the Hastings line. Ther was this one instance where I went to St Leonards Warrior Square to see Colas Rail 66850 'David Maidment OBE' stationary holding new tracks.

 

[Bald Rick]

And am I right in saying GBR will have no responsibility for freight?

No, freight is effectively open access so GBR has little influence.

GBR will not operate freight trains (notwithstanding GBRf!) but AIUI GBR will have a statutory obligation to enable the freight ’market’, be fair in the dealings with the Frieght Operators, and there may well be a specific obligation to enable freight growth.

 

[Tazi Hupefi]

GBR will not operate freight trains (notwithstanding GBRf!) but AIUI GBR will have a statutory obligation to enable the freight ’market’, be fair in the dealings with the Frieght Operators, and there may well be a specific obligation to enable freight growth.

Although it potentially might make sense for some restructuring of DRS (wholly government owned) especially if you can reduce costs, maintenance etc by using GBR resources.

I'm sure some Northern drivers would be more than happy to work a 156 to Carlisle and then take the flasks back to Sellafield!

 

[Trainman40083]

Worth adding that a relatively recent gain for freight is ballast for recycling.. There is a terminal at Longport, but may be others. .Trains often worked by Colas. The market for such is growing as the prices for what I could call virgin ballast increase. The Government aggregate tax etc.

 

[Bald Rick]

Worth adding that a relatively recent gain for freight is ballast for recycling

I might be worng, but I’m sure I saw that being done at Whitemoor on my first visit in 2003…

 

[Bill57p9]

I am pretty sure that Colas used to haul the aviation fuel tankers to Prestwick Airport. I cannot recall who operates it now.

 

[john77]

I might be worng, but I’m sure I saw that being done at Whitemoor on my first visit in 2003…

I volunteer for a heritage railway and we used to be able to buy used ballast (of variable quality) from our local NR depot. A year or so ago they emailed all their customers to say they would no longer sell it in that state as they were going to start cleaning it for reuse, either for themselves or possibly for sale at a higher price.

 

[littledude]

I am pretty sure that Colas used to haul the aviation fuel tankers to Prestwick Airport. I cannot recall who operates it now.

GBRf, from Grain

 

[DarloRich]

I quite often see Colas class 37s along the Hastings line. Ther was this one instance where I went to St Leonards Warrior Square to see Colas Rail 66850 'David Maidment OBE' stationary holding new tracks.

looking good - but that is an engineering train rather than a freight train

I might be worng, but I’m sure I saw that being done at Whitemoor on my first visit in 2003…

Correct!

 

[43096]

looking good - but that is an engineering train rather than a freight train

But as far as the train operator is concerned it is another freight train for a customer.

 

[Freightmaster]

But as far as the train operator is concerned it is another freight train for a customer.

While that may be true from a purely financial point of view, they are not "freight" trains in the
accepted sense of the word, any more than Autumn RHTT trains or movements of TOC stock are.



MARK

 

[satisnek]

Funny thing, freight in the 21st century. There's plenty of it but it's confined to 'rat runs'. Spend some time at Derby or Nottingham and you could be forgiven for thinking that rail freight is pretty well dead. But go to Burton or Chesterfield and it's a different story. The WCML (via the 'Trent Valley Line') is also a freight hotspot.

 

[Freightmaster]

Funny thing, freight in the 21st century. There's plenty of it but it's confined to 'rat runs'. Spend some time at Derby or Nottingham and you could be forgiven that rail freight is pretty well dead. But go to Burton or Chesterfield and it's a different story. The WCML (via the 'Trent Valley Line') is also a freight hotspot.

That is spot on - I have been updating the Freightmaster timetables on a daily basis for over
30 years now (longer than all the current FOCs have been in existence!), and it's sobering
to see many of the locations which used to be extremely busy freight 'hotspots' in the halcyon
days of power station coal traffic are almost dead now, especially during the daytime.

Conversely, some routes are as busy as ever - in addition to the WCML south of Weaver Junction
that you mentioned, the London area still sees a large amount of aggregate and intermodal traffic
and the recent switch of a lot of container traffic from Felixstowe to London Gateway means that
the amount of freight traffic using the LTS route has almost doubled in the past 12 months.

South Wales is another 'winner', with significant tonnages of imported steel moving from Newport,
Cardfiff and Portbury docks to Margam and Llanwern following the cessation of steel making at Port Talbot.




MARK