GCR(N) British Gypsum Flows

[gibo87]

Hi everyone. First post for me.

Having travelled on the GCR(N) for the first time last weekend (on their Twixmas Train), it got me wondering if the British Gypsum trains will restart now that the branch has reopened or has all the traffic moved to road permanently?

 

[edwin_m]

Gypsum was originally mined locally but more recently was a bi-product of desulphurisation of coal-fired power station flue gases, at least some of which went by rail. The last of these (Ratcliffe) closed a few months ago, so where does the raw material now come from and is the flow still suitable for rail?

 

[jfowkes]

Gypsum is definitely still mined at East Lake and British Gypsum also want to mine on the former power station site!
https://www.british-gypsum.com/about-us/our-locations/future-plans/development-ratcliffe-soar
https://www.british-gypsum.com/about-us/our-locations/future-plans/development-ratcliffe-soar

Welcome to our public consultation to outline proposals by British Gypsum for the prior extraction of gypsum on land to the north-east of the Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station. This land forms part of the Local Development Order (LDO) approved for the site.

None of this information whether the GCR is still used for transport, but there's definitely still gypsum coming out of the ground and plasterboard being made at East Leake.