Unobrow
Member
Quick update. Its expected they’ll be one test Train a day Monday-Friday for a couple of weeks, then hopefully the terminal will go fully operational from 23rd if everything is satisfactory.
-
Our new ticketing site is now live! Using either this or the original site (both powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!
Rail Freight Flows and News UK
- Thread starter pmb
- Start date
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R
RailUK Forums
geordieblue
Member
There was an aggregates working on Monday from Barrow Hill (originally Dowlow) to Grimsby Pyewipe Road - apparently this is some sort of trial? I don’t think there’s been rail freight into/out of Grimsby for a while (though sometimes stuff from Immingham gets diverted that way). https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:85701/2025-06-09/detailed
waverley47
Member
- Joined
- 17 Apr 2015
- Messages
- 852
There was another service on Monday, running from Belmont Down Yd, which I passed at Doncaster.
The consist was a stoneblower, and two rakes of auto-ballasters. Very odd.
Bob figgis
Member
A trial flow with the intention to become a regular service, GBRF are also due to run a train in the next few days/week. There is also talk of another flow staring in the coming months.
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
The vac was sent over in connection with cable laying along the light railway, not quite sure why ten autoballasters were needed.
LibertyLane
Member
Apologies if this post isn't strictly "freight", but I'm seeing photos via Today's Railways UK and Modern Railways that 99001 and 99002 have arrived by boat to Avonmouth and suggestions this should leave by rail to Leicester "soon / in the next few days", possibly Tues 17th June.
Sun Chariot
Established Member
Yes, some useful gen on this thread
GBRf Class 99 - 30 locomotives now ordered
Is it really easier to load them on and off a ship than just to bring them through the tunnel?
www.railforums.co.uk
geordieblue
Member
Couple of days of good news (for once), first train into the new Northampton Gateway yesterday, first train into the newly reconnected Horton Quarry today. Feels like things are a bit more positive at the moment after a bad start to the year
Class15
Established Member
Hi all, is there any updates on if Felixstowe is going to be recovering anytime soon? There is still lots of unused capacity out of the port. Thanks.
WessexEclectic
Member
- Joined
- 20 May 2013
- Messages
- 236
Sun Chariot
Established Member
It gets better, as on Tuesday and today, five freight workings:
4O11 Basford Hall to Southampton MCT
4O22 Trafford Park to Southampton MCT
4O18 Lawley Street to Southampton MCT
4M60 Southampton MCT to Northampton Gateway
4O56 return Northampton Gateway to Southampton MCT.
Attached screen shot is of Tuesday's RTT data for Winslow.
Attachments
Attachments
Class15
Established Member
Assuming these are diversions off the usual route via Banbury (overnight engineering work?)
Freightmaster
Verified Rep
- Joined
- 7 Jul 2009
- Messages
- 4,487
littledude
Member
Does anyone know if routing a Southampton-bound modal via the EWR offers any operational advantage? Does it free up capacity on a restricted route, or is it neither here nor there and chances are there won’t be mass re-routing via it?
zwk500
Veteran Member
There are 2 primary routes where it would relieve a capacity constraint (Nuneaton-Coventry-Leamington and MK-Wembley-Acton-Reading) but that has to be balanced against the capacity constraints on Didcot-Oxford, MK-Rugby and the 3-track section from Brinklow to just south of Nuneaton (northbound).
Crew change locations would also need to be considered, although if Wembley/Acton can be exchanged for Oxford/Hinksey then there may be scope to move it. There's no real change for traction options (although the theoretical option to run electrics on the WCML through to/from Wembley Yard would be missed, but AFAIK it's rarely if ever used for Southampton freight anyway).
I wouldn't expect any mass changes due to EWR opening, but there may be some Y paths appearing or even a few paths moving completely.
Railwaycat
Member
Good news from the Highlands, the connection and sidings for the Norbord (as was, now Fraser or something similar) plant on the Aberdeen line out of Inverness have been given the go ahead. From the Inverness Courier:
www.inverness-courier.co.uk
Plans for new railway halt at wood panel manufacturer are agreed by Highland Council
But the time of operation at the ex-Norbord base was curtailed at the weekend.
Last edited by a moderator:
geordieblue
Member
There was another working to Grimsby Pyewipe Rd yesterday from Doncaster - anyone know what it was? Just a civil engineer?
Aggregate, this 66745 did the honours this time.
Class15
Established Member
Hi all, does anyone know why container traffic to Ditton seems to have dropped off a cliff recently?
Previously, it was this:
FL 2 a day to Felixstowe, GBRf 2 a day to Felixstowe
Now, it is this:
FL 1 a day to London Gateway, GBRf 1 a day to Felixstowe
Quite a big drop - anyone know why?
Previously, it was this:
FL 2 a day to Felixstowe, GBRf 2 a day to Felixstowe
Now, it is this:
FL 1 a day to London Gateway, GBRf 1 a day to Felixstowe
Quite a big drop - anyone know why?
GBRf only had one Ditton (Widnes)-Felixstowe service, that being the 4L62/4M61. At the moment 4L62 runs to Felixstowe, emptied, then runs to Parkeston for the week before returning to Felixstowe Friday for Saturdays 4M61 departure. It was never a heavily populated train like the Trafford Park and container volumes are low across the board at the moment.
Class15
Established Member
What about the 4L05/4M05 train? I thought that was a Ditton train as well.
The GBRF Portbury steel trains have had a bit of a hiatus while the Severn Tunnel has been out of use, although VAR paths via Gloucester have still been appearing, just nothing running.
Today there was a light engine move from Cardiff Tidal into the docks via Gloucester, which came out later in the evening on one of the scheduled paths (6B92) but comprised only the locomotive (66720) and two empty KEAs. I’m guessing these might have been left at the docks previously, perhaps needing attention.
They do run Saturday trains, and the tunnel works were due to finish today, so perhaps the traffic will resume tomorrow.
Today there was a light engine move from Cardiff Tidal into the docks via Gloucester, which came out later in the evening on one of the scheduled paths (6B92) but comprised only the locomotive (66720) and two empty KEAs. I’m guessing these might have been left at the docks previously, perhaps needing attention.
They do run Saturday trains, and the tunnel works were due to finish today, so perhaps the traffic will resume tomorrow.
Freightmaster
Verified Rep
- Joined
- 7 Jul 2009
- Messages
- 4,487
Next boatload of steel is not due into Portbury until mid July, I'm told - sorry!
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
There was also a three times a week (GB operated) train from Southampton until earlier this year,
which has also died a death.
MARK
WessexEclectic
Member
- Joined
- 20 May 2013
- Messages
- 236
Out of interest, is it known where the steel is coming from? (Presume this is scrap for the electric arc at Port Talbot?)
littledude
Member
The EAF hasn’t even began being constructed yet, this is slab (AFAIK from the Netherlands) for rolling at Port Talbot
DBS92042
Established Member
- Joined
- 13 Apr 2019
- Messages
- 1,800
A lot of the slabs I've seen loaded on that train over the last few months have been marked with India as the country of origin
geordieblue
Member
There is a working from Baglan Bay to Shrewsbury this week - timber flow restarting or wagons for storage/use elsewhere? https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:R02537/2025-06-23/detailed
Numbskull100
Member
- Joined
- 29 Jul 2017
- Messages
- 190
The FL work was Maersk, so moved to Gateway as 4L58/4M58
androdas
Member
It looks like the North Blyth - Ft. William alumia flow is going over to bogie tanks (must have been one of the last non-departmenmtal workings still using 2 axle wagons). The Alvance branded bogie wagons came down from Eastriggs as this working last Friday:
www.realtimetrains.co.uk
and was picture going through Newsham here on x.com:
Does anyone know if these are the old bitumen tanks that were used on the Preston - Teeside flow and have been rebranded?
Realtime Trains | 6E80 1601 Eastriggs M.O.D. to North Blyth Alcan Gbrf | 20/06/2025
Real-time train running information for 6E80 1601 departure from Eastriggs M.O.D. to North Blyth Alcan Gbrf on 20/06/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.
www.realtimetrains.co.uk
and was picture going through Newsham here on x.com:
Does anyone know if these are the old bitumen tanks that were used on the Preston - Teeside flow and have been rebranded?