Rail Freight Flows and News UK

[j37401]

What were GBRf thinking trying to take over a contract with unsuitabe wagons? It just shows how bad rail freight in the uk is right now with the customer only ever bothered about going with the cheapest tender. It appears customer loyalty does not exist any more and it is always a 'race the bottom'.

 

[JKF]

What were GBRf thinking trying to take over a contract with unsuitabe wagons? It just shows how bad rail freight in the uk is right now with the customer only ever bothered about going with the cheapest tender. It appears customer loyalty does not exist any more and it is always a 'race the bottom'.

I suspect whoever converted the wagons might be on the hook for sorting them out rather than GBRF, or at least their insurers will be. There must have been some design calcs to determine if they were suitable, they don’t just chuck anything out.

It might be that they hadn’t considered the dynamics during loading or something like that, I don’t know if the magnetic telehandlers drop them into the wagons from any height or place them in carefully at the base.

It’s supposedly a three-year contract so sure they will be up and running again at some point.

 

[AndrewE]

I suspect whoever converted the wagons might be on the hook for sorting them out rather than GBRF, or at least their insurers will be. There must have been some design calcs to determine if they were suitable, they don’t just chuck anything out.

It might be that they hadn’t considered the dynamics during loading or something like that, I don’t know if the magnetic telehandlers drop them into the wagons from any height or place them in carefully at the base.

see post #1647

 

[BRX]

Last ever Ditton-Neuss via Channel Tunnel ran today - another freight flow lost, apparently to road transport.

I filmed it passing me in south London - video here for anyone interested.

 

[JKF]

That’s what happens when fuel duty gets frozen for a decade! It’s not a level playing field. We seem to be losing more than we’re gaining.

 

[66701GBRF]

Further casualties at Freightliner Felixstowe...below no longer run from next week.

4L85 Tinsley to Felixstowe/4E82 Felixstowe to Tinsley
4L89 Ditton to Felixstowe/4M88 Felixstowe to Ditton
4L86 Manchester to Felixstowe/4M69 Felixstowe to Manchester

 

[eastwestdivide]

4E82 Felixstowe to Tinsley

that one for example seems to be replaced by a 4E73 0015 London Gateway to Tinsley, arriving at the same time:

Realtime Trains | 4E73 0015 London Gateway Frghtliner to Tinsley Intermodal Term | 03/04/2025

Real-time train running information for 4E73 0015 departure from London Gateway Frghtliner to Tinsley Intermodal Term on 03/04/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[66701GBRF]

I think most Felixstowe losses (including the removed GB services) have, or will be, transferred to Gateway. Starting to leave some big holes at Felixstowe.

 

[Class15]

Further casualties at Freightliner Felixstowe...below no longer run from next week.

4L85 Tinsley to Felixstowe/4E82 Felixstowe to Tinsley
4L89 Ditton to Felixstowe/4M88 Felixstowe to Ditton
4L86 Manchester to Felixstowe/4M69 Felixstowe to Manchester

So this leaves two daytime class 90 workings through London. Fantastic news (not). And the ‘Suffragette line’ 90 train is gone as well. Lasted only about 5 months.

Freightliner must be regretting buying 90018 and 90040…

 

[geordieblue]

Freightliner must be regretting buying 90018 and 90040…

It does seem daft that they can’t wire Gateway considering how short the branch is and the possibility of ditching a load of diesel miles.

 

[Class15]

It does seem daft that they can’t wire Gateway considering how short the branch is and the possibility of ditching a load of diesel miles.

Absolutely. Failing that, is it possible to do loco swaps at Ripple Lane??

 

[BRX]

I think most Felixstowe losses (including the removed GB services) have, or will be, transferred to Gateway. Starting to leave some big holes at Felixstowe.

About 10 years ago I watched similar happen to the container trains that used to run through south London from Thamesport. From several a day to nothing - almost overnight - when the big shipping circuits transferred over to Gateway.

 

[ExRes]

RTT currently showing a DCR route learner from Chaddesden to Penmaenmawr Quarry on Monday along with return trips to Chester and Crewe for Monday & Tuesday

 

[Class15]

Basically every freight out of London Gateway today was significantly delayed. Clearly the rail terminal is struggling to deal with the increased volumes of traffic.

 

[66701GBRF]

Basically every freight out of London Gateway today was significantly delayed. Clearly the rail terminal is struggling to deal with the increased volumes of traffic.

Not necessarily, there could be multiple reasons for delays out of the port. The trouble with increased services means when something has gone wrong there is less scope for a quick recovery as more services would naturally be affected.
4M68 failed on the branch for a couple of hours which probably had an impact on departures.

 

[Trainman40083]

It does seem daft that they can’t wire Gateway considering how short the branch is and the possibility of ditching a load of diesel miles.

Might explain the ideal location for a Class 99 working by GBrF. One loco all the way, but taking advantage of OHLE where available.

 

[Class15]

Not necessarily, there could be multiple reasons for delays out of the port. The trouble with increased services means when something has gone wrong there is less scope for a quick recovery as more services would naturally be affected.
4M68 failed on the branch for a couple of hours which probably had an impact on departures.

There were multiple delays yesterday too. I don’t think this is likely to be a one-off.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 2 Apr 2025 ==

Might explain the ideal location for a Class 99 working by GBrF. One loco all the way, but taking advantage of OHLE where available.

It doesn’t help Freightliner Class 90s, which are being reduced in diagrams due to transfer of workings from Felixstowe to London Gateway.

 

[Trainman40083]

There were multiple delays yesterday too. I don’t think this is likely to be a one-off.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 2 Apr 2025 ==


It doesn’t help Freightliner Class 90s, which are being reduced in diagrams due to transfer of workings from Felixstowe to London Gateway.

Maybe they will end up buying Class 99s too, else lose business to a competitor.

 

[Class15]

Maybe they will end up buying Class 99s too, else lose business to a competitor.

It may well be cheaper for FL to just pay to put up wires along the branch. It’s a couple of miles.

 

[zwk500]

It may well be cheaper for FL to just pay to put up wires along the branch. It’s a couple of miles.

You can't put the wires over the loading area though, so they'd still need a shunter. I expect buying last-mile locos is going to be massively more cost effective for the FOC, given you can send a last mile loco to a lot more places whereas wires would be fixed above 1 line.
Worth pointing out that Ipswich-Felixstowe isn't wired either, so there's presumably more factors at play in the decision not to use 90s from Ripple Lane than merely a lack of wires at the very end of the branch.

 

[Class15]

You can't put the wires over the loading area though, so they'd still need a shunter. I expect buying last-mile locos is going to be massively more cost effective for the FOC, given you can send a last mile loco to a lot more places whereas wires would be fixed above 1 line.
Worth pointing out that Ipswich-Felixstowe isn't wired either, so there's presumably more factors at play in the decision not to use 90s from Ripple Lane than merely a lack of wires at the very end of the branch.

Ripple Lane is a DB facility. That’ll be the problem.

 

[Trainman40083]

It may well be cheaper for FL to just pay to put up wires along the branch. It’s a couple of miles.

I guess you'd have to compare the cost of 2 miles of OHLE versus a batch of Class 99s. I wonder if these 99s can hauled a loaded freightliner up the branch from Felixstowe to Ipswich?

 

[zwk500]

Ripple Lane is a DB facility. That’ll be the problem.

Some parts are leased to DB but there's NR infrastructure there sufficient to swap locos for any operator. E.g. Freightliner 4S82 Recesses on the goods line for nearly an hour and a half https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:R62483/2025-04-02/detailed. I can find multiple FL trains in RTT today booked to recess on the goods lines at Ripple Lane in both directions.

 

[Class15]

Some parts are leased to DB but there's NR infrastructure there sufficient to swap locos for any operator. E.g. Freightliner 4S83 Recesses on the goods line for nearly an hour and a half https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:R62483/2025-04-02/detailed. I can find multiple FL trains in RTT today booked to recess on the goods lines at Ripple Lane in both directions.

That’s interesting. Must be some other reason that FL won’t change locos there then.

 

[66701GBRF]

I don't believe there is anywhere suitable or wired where you can leave an electric loco when not in use, it would also require extra staff to help perform the swap and brake test. In fact I don't think the goods line is wired anyway.

 

[geordieblue]

You can't put the wires over the loading area though, so they'd still need a shunter. I expect buying last-mile locos is going to be massively more cost effective for the FOC, given you can send a last mile loco to a lot more places whereas wires would be fixed above 1 line.
Worth pointing out that Ipswich-Felixstowe isn't wired either, so there's presumably more factors at play in the decision not to use 90s from Ripple Lane than merely a lack of wires at the very end of the branch.

How do they do it at Garston, Mossend and Grangemouth? I don’t think there’s shunters at any of these places but I think they all see 90 haulage

 

[Class15]

How do they do it at Garston, Mossend and Grangemouth? I don’t think there’s shunters at any of these places but I think they all see 90 haulage

Shunting into the terminal. No reason why they couldn’t do it at Gateway.

 

[Parkway]

Has something happened to the Barry Dow Chemcials flow? Temporary cessation or something more permanent?

 

[Freightmaster]

Has something happened to the Barry Dow Chemcials flow? Temporary cessation or something more permanent?

It's running to/from Wentoog this week:

Realtime Trains | 4L50 1628 Wentloog (Freightliners) to Tilbury Lct (Flt) | 02/04/2025

Real-time train running information for 4L50 1628 departure from Wentloog (Freightliners) to Tilbury Lct (Flt) on 02/04/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

MARK

 

[ExRes]

RTT currently showing a DCR route learner from Chaddesden to Penmaenmawr Quarry on Monday along with return trips to Chester and Crewe for Monday & Tuesday

Following on from these trips RTT are showing 0039 6M21 Willesden to Penmaenmawr and loaded 1458 6M22 return for Friday