GWR delivers shellfish by train

[The Ham]

An interesting news story:

http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/freight/single-view/view/gwr-delivers-shellfish-by-train.html

A three-month trial of transporting live lobsters and other shellfish from Cornwall to restaurants in London in the guard's vans of High Speed Trains was launched on December 1.

The pilot project is being undertaken by InterCity RailFreight in partnership with Great Western Railway, WEGO Carbon Neutral Couriers and Cornish fishermen.

The shellfish will be packed into insulated crates and loaded onto the 17.39 departure from Penzance, arriving at London Paddington at 23.44 for collection and distribution to customers by WEGO. There are also plans to carry fresh flowers. ‘This really does provide a sustainable solution for restaurants to be able to serve the freshest, and very best of, Cornish produce’, said GWR Managing Director Mark Hopwood.

InterCity RailFreight began by carrying time-critical medical samples from Nottingham to laboratories in London using East Midlands Trains. It is now expanding to deliver other time and temperature sensitive consignments for ‘highly demanding customers’, including financial and legal documents and engineering components.

‘We have proven that using rail in this way can cut both costs and emissions by up to 60% while saving time’, said Jeff Screeton, Managing Director of InterCity RailFreight. ‘Having access to frequent high speed rail services opens up new markets for regional small and medium businesses and enables them to sustainably tap into the huge potential from e-commerce.’

I would argue that by using a passenger service which already running that the reduction in emissions is quite significant. As either the emission per passenger goes down due to the freight having a share in the emissions or the freight has zero emissions as the passengers are already being allocated the emissions.

In simple terms the train is running creating the emissions anyway so if you use that over running a separate road vehicle which would be creating additional emissions the total additional emissions of using the train would be fairly small (i.e. mostly just the emissions used to get to and from the station at each end).

 

[GrimsbyPacer]

Good idea, but wouldn't the train have a shellfish smell afterwards?

 

[Ash Bridge]

An interesting news story:

http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/freight/single-view/view/gwr-delivers-shellfish-by-train.html



I would argue that by using a passenger service which already running that the reduction in emissions is quite significant. As either the emission per passenger goes down due to the freight having a share in the emissions or the freight has zero emissions as the passengers are already being allocated the emissions.

In simple terms the train is running creating the emissions anyway so if you use that over running a separate road vehicle which would be creating additional emissions the total additional emissions of using the train would be fairly small (i.e. mostly just the emissions used to get to and from the station at each end).

That's a positive development, a hark back to the old days, I would hope there is sufficient space for this to continue when the SET'S and AT300's replace the HST's?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Good idea, but wouldn't the train have a shellfish smell afterwards?

Surely it is conveyed in the van area of the power car(s)?

 

[coppercapped]

That's a positive development, a hark back to the old days, I would hope there is sufficient space for this to continue when the SET'S and AT300's replace the HST's?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


Surely it is conveyed in the van area of the power car(s)?

A long wheelbase fish van hung on the back...?

 

[najaB]

Ever had fresh Scottish langoustines in London? More than likely they came down the night before on the Sleeper from Inverness.

 

[jimm]

Good idea, but wouldn't the train have a shellfish smell afterwards?

Second picture on the Railway Gazette story linked to above shows the sliding door of the power car luggage area is open behind the people pictured.

InterCity Railfreight's website is here http://intercityrailfreight.com

 

[Yew]

Good, We've got the space on the trains, so we may as well use it

 

[Bigfoot]

Good idea, but wouldn't the train have a shellfish smell afterwards?

The first paragraph answers the carrying location on the train. Or were you trying to be amusing?

 

[jimm]

The first paragraph answers the carrying location on the train. Or were you trying to be amusing?

HSTs also have a 'guard's van' in the TGS coach, though this is nowadays mainly used for bike storage.

 

[ainsworth74]

Looks like a good idea hopefully it will work out for them!

I've often thought that some railway companies are missing a trick when it comes to things like this. It'll never be a huge earner but could be a nice little side project considering the trains will be running anyway so the marginal costs are going to be neglible. It's just drop off and delivery at the other end that would add cost.

 

[jopsuk]

Good idea, but wouldn't the train have a shellfish smell afterwards?

I've used the bike storage on the Caledonian Sleeper a couple of times. Even on a glasgow service, the smell of shellfish-past is strong.

 

[The Ham]

Looks like a good idea hopefully it will work out for them!

I've often thought that some railway companies are missing a trick when it comes to things like this. It'll never be a huge earner but could be a nice little side project considering the trains will be running anyway so the marginal costs are going to be neglible. It's just drop off and delivery at the other end that would add cost.

Depending on how it is run it could be the freight/delivery company that does the loading/unloading meaning that the risk to the TOC's could be small.

Although it would only work at stations where there was already a long stop otherwise passengers could get frustrated if their train was late because of a late delivery driver or a delivery driver being slow loading their cargo on the train.

 

[najaB]

Depending on how it is run it could be the freight/delivery company that does the loading/unloading meaning that the risk to the TOC's could be small.

I like the idea, just need to come up with a name for it...

 

[SeanG]

Depending on how it is run it could be the freight/delivery company that does the loading/unloading meaning that the risk to the TOC's could be small.

Although it would only work at stations where there was already a long stop otherwise passengers could get frustrated if their train was late because of a late delivery driver or a delivery driver being slow loading their cargo on the train.

I think that'd be very shellfish on the delivery driver's part...

I'll get my coat....

 

[HowardGWR]

I think that'd be very shellfish on the delivery driver's part...

I'll get my coat....

Good - and let's claw the thread back on topic.

 

[Lockwood]

If we fill this thread with puns as well some people may get crabby.

 

[najaB]

I agree, there's a plaice for that kind of thing.

 

[dave87016]

Oh Codswallop some of these are good banter

 

[Mike395]

If we cod get back on topic, that'd be great - thanks

 

[DarloRich]

Doesn't something similar run from Northern Scotland via the sleeper ( or have i gone all Thomas the Tank engine here?)

 

[najaB]

Doesn't something similar run from Northern Scotland via the sleeper ( or have i gone all Thomas the Tank engine here?)

Ahem....

Ever had fresh Scottish langoustines in London? More than likely they came down the night before on the Sleeper from Inverness.

 

[Clip]

If we cod get back on topic, that'd be great - thanks

The world is your Oyster with fishy puns though.

 

[misterredmist]

The world is your Oyster with fishy puns though.

Well it's about time the Railways tried to "muscle" in on some of the road freight business...... and in view of the amount of produce going to up market , expensive outlets , then let's hope they can make a nice premium on it....

anyway, I shall clam up now........

 

[Howardh]

Time we started running trains using tank full of electric eels!!

Somebody who knows better than me can explain why they are electric and what voltage they supply.....you get quite a shock I'm told.

Is it REALLY electricity or just some muscle spasm when something gets near. Must look it up on Wiki.....

 

[misterredmist]

Time we started running trains using tank full of electric eels!!

Somebody who knows better than me can explain why they are electric and what voltage they supply.....you get quite a shock I'm told.

Is it REALLY electricity or just some muscle spasm when something gets near. Must look it up on Wiki.....

Eels have a "flux capacitor"............

 

[najaB]

Is it REALLY electricity or just some muscle spasm when something gets near. Must look it up on Wiki.....

Something like 200mA at 600V from memory.

 

[mirodo]

Something like 200mA at 600V from memory.

I bet that hertz.

 

[Lockwood]

Joule regret being hit by it, that's for sure.

 

[Ash Bridge]

Should have realised the Hitachi SET (Seafood Express Train) was designed with this business in mind.

 

[edwin_m]

I like the idea, just need to come up with a name for it...

Red Starfish
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Should have realised the Hitachi SET (Seafood Express Train) was designed with this business in mind.

Perhaps the switch for changing from electric to diesel is a bivalve?