Georgemas Jn Freight

[steevp]

Drove through on the way south yesterday and noticed that there was some activity which looks like the laying of sidings on the Wick side of the road bridge. Does anyone know if this is just in connection with the Dounray traffic or whether there are plans for anything else please?

I did a search, but didn't see the info anywhere else.

Thanks

 

[oldman]

This from the Northern Times in 2010:

Last month, details were revealed of a £35m private sector scheme to create two bio-mass plants at Georgemas and Forss.

It ties in with a new operation being planned by On-Route Logistics to set up and operate a rail freight hub at the junction, just south of Thurso.

The intention is to run trains of raw timber to the two new plants and then haul the finished product south from Georgemas.

Would be good for the Far North Line if true. However, I can't find anything recent online to say this project is actually up and running.

 

[steevp]

Thanks oldman

There were a couple of lorries on-site with lengths of rail on them and we passed another that was going north on the A9 later on, so there is something going on there

 

[Gathursty]

Will the Far North Line cope as a result of the likely increase of rail freight expected due to this news? I think Inverness-Dingwall gets 10 trains a day, with up to Tain or Ardgay IIRC about half of that and to the end 4 trains a day on mainly single line track with a plethora of loops or am I confusing the cause of the slim service with the size of local population?

 

[cf111]

Will the Far North Line cope as a result of the likely increase of rail freight expected due to this news? I think Inverness-Dingwall gets 10 trains a day, with up to Tain or Ardgay IIRC about half of that and to the end 4 trains a day on mainly single line track with a plethora of loops or am I confusing the cause of the slim service with the size of local population?

There is already difficulty at the south-end of the route, and that's where I think the problem would stay. I think doubling all the track between Inverness and Tain would be the most useful development.

The long-term problem might be with RETB and the time it takes for trains to clear sections. I've no idea if there's a concrete plan for its replacement (ERTMS?) though.

 

[30907]

Present capacity is roughly 1 train every 40 minutes south of Lairg. South of Dingwall is at capacity in the peaks and early afternoon but not otherwise.

Unless there is a huge amount of freight on offer, or a major increase in Inverness commuter trains planned, I don't see this posing serious problems.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I think doubling all the track between Inverness and Tain would be the most useful development.

Don't be so timid. Demand that the doubling is made all the way up to the northern extremities and also demand full line electrification in addition, plus the total reinstatement of the Wick and Lybster Light Railway...

 

[rf_ioliver]

Don't be so timid. Demand that the doubling is made all the way up to the northern extremities and also demand full line electrification in addition, plus the total reinstatement of the Wick and Lybster Light Railway...

Please, some ambition...HS4 at a minimum

t.

Ian

 

[HSTEd]

Don't forget a rail tunnel under the Pentland Firth.

 

[cf111]

Don't be so timid. Demand that the doubling is made all the way up to the northern extremities and also demand full line electrification in addition, plus the total reinstatement of the Wick and Lybster Light Railway...

Please, some ambition...HS4 at a minimum

t.

Ian

Don't forget a rail tunnel under the Pentland Firth.

Oh well, if we're going down that route then the angry letter writing pen will be out for a diatribe to Transport Scotland demanding at least 30 shiny new IEP units to run the service.

 

[kermit]

And Why does North Ronaldsay have no rail service to speak of?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Ronaldsay

Scandalous!!

 

[najaB]

I think doubling all the track between Inverness and Tain would be the most useful development.

How about just re-doubling Clachnaharry to Clunes? That would remove the biggest capacity constraint on the Far North Line.

 

[steevp]

How about just re-doubling Clachnaharry to Clunes? That would remove the biggest capacity constraint on the Far North Line.

Does anybody know where the existing passing loops are?

BTW thanks for all the replies - including the slightly less than serious ones!

 

[najaB]

Does anybody know where the existing passing loops are?

AFAIK, the passing loops are Muir of Ord, Dingwall, Invergordon, Tain, Ardgay, Lairg, Brora, Helmsdale, Fosinard and Georgemas Junction. It's been a while since I travelled further north than Alness, so I may have forgotten one or two.

 

[berneyarms]

Also Forsinard.

 

[Railsigns]

Also Forsinard.

Also Rogart. It's debatable whether Georgemas Junction can be classed as a crossing loop any more: The southernmost loop line can only be accessed by operating a ground frame and it has no platform.

 

[najaB]

Also Rogart. It's debatable whether Georgemas Junction can be classed as a crossing loop any more

It might not be a passing place for regular passenger service, but it can/could be used for freight or out of order working.

 

[Maxfly]

The usual way of getting freight, well the pipes into georgemas is send the unit on its way to Thurso, pipes are waiting at Halkirk Stop Board (hopefully) then after unit loop clears Gmas take in the pipes and once they arrive give them Gmas-wick for shunting purposes, unit arrives Thurso and while driver changes ends the pipes should hopefully clear Gmas to enable the unit to get the long section Thurso to Gmas. Unit comes in and changes ends again, gets thrown south so pipes can move back into Gmas and commence shunting as required.
It's all to do with available time etc as to whether a freight can go straight into the sidings via GF's.

Cheapest option to make a big difference would be a passing loop at clunes, really crying out for that most weeks.