scrap trains for export

[lizmcp]

I'm trying to get a hold on how much scrap moves by rail to ports for export. Seeing current regular paths to Liverpool (4-5 per week from Attercliffe, Kingsbury and Swindon), and Cardiff (~2 per week from Burton). I understand the Immingham train stopped a while ago. Anyone know of others? I expected to see something into Southampton but can't identify anything.

 

[Freightmaster]

I'm trying to get a hold on how much scrap moves by rail to ports for export. Seeing current regular paths to Liverpool (4-5 per week from Attercliffe, Kingsbury and Swindon), and Cardiff (~2 per week from Burton). I understand the Immingham train stopped a while ago. Anyone know of others?

Rotherham and Sunderland to Cardiff.



MARK

 

[Yorkshire09876]

The major scrap handling plant at Newport Docks (Unimetals), where large quantities of railway stock has been broken up over the past few years (they also take large numbers of cars and other scrap) is right by the dock so the shredded scrap can be loaded straight into the ships.

 

[John R]

Won't a lot of this scrap be needed to feed the new electric arc furnace at Port Talbot once that is operational? There was an article in Modern Railways a few months back that suggested there would be a very heavy flow of scrap westbound required as it will have a voracious appetite.

 

[hwl]

Won't a lot of this scrap be needed to feed the new electric arc furnace at Port Talbot once that is operational? There was an article in Modern Railways a few months back that suggested there would be a very heavy flow of scrap westbound required as it will have a voracious appetite.

Probably around 5/8th of the current /recent UK scrap volume will head to Port Talbot / Scunthorpe in the future for use in the new EAF (some existing scrap already goes to the smaller existing EAFs (Liberty, Marcegaglia, Forgemasters, Progress rail (S&C components).

Installing a large EAF at/near Lackenby for the large beam mill would make lots of sense as it could avoid lots of metal transport overall but would see 1 fewer EAF installed in Scunthorpe

 

[lizmcp]

Yes, estimating at least 3 million tonnes will be going to Port Talbot by 2028 or so, then up to 5 eventually. The stuff going by rail to a port is the obvious diversion to the EAFs, which is why I'm trying to size that, to get an idea of the effect on bulk exports of scrap.

Scunthorpe is still very much in the air, and earliest possible would be 2032 due to necessary grid upgrades for powering.

 

[geordieblue]

Rotherham and Sunderland to Cardiff.



MARK

Doesn’t this run to feed the Celsa furnace though rather than for export?

 

[lizmcp]

As far as I can establish, Burton to Cardiff is to Ward for export, and Sunderland is to Celsa.

 

[geordieblue]

As far as I can establish, Burton to Cardiff is to Ward for export, and Sunderland is to Celsa.

I think the Burton GBRF traffic is for Celsa too - see this pic showing a GBRF loco and wagons in the works sidings - I think the different end point on RTT is because it’s a different operator. Things may have changed since that picture was taken.

 

[Adrian Barr]

I'm trying to get a hold on how much scrap moves by rail to ports for export. Seeing current regular paths to Liverpool (4-5 per week from Attercliffe, Kingsbury and Swindon), and Cardiff (~2 per week from Burton). I understand the Immingham train stopped a while ago. Anyone know of others? I expected to see something into Southampton but can't identify anything.

I think that's it - the Burton to Cardiff Docks flow for Wards and the Liverpool trains for EMR.

Both of those each use a single set of wagons. The Burton set ran 3 times last week and the Liverpool set also ran 3 times - Saltley on Monday, Swindon on Wednesday, Kingsbury on Friday (also visited Attercliffe the week before).

The Wards trains to Immingham ceased some time ago and the loading terminal at Ripple Lane also closed. There had also been some Burton to Immingham trains - I think the Cardiff export terminal started receiving scrap around the time the Immingham terminal closed.

The weight of scrap in each wagon can vary quite a bit depending on the type of scrap loaded, but something like 1500 tons per train is a reasonable guess - at ~6 trains per week that's probably no more than 10,000 tons of export scrap per week by rail in total.

I think the only rail flows at Southampton docks are containers, export cars and import gypsum.

I think the Burton GBRF traffic is for Celsa too - see this pic showing a GBRF loco and wagons in the works sidings - I think the different end point on RTT is because it’s a different operator. Things may have changed since that picture was taken.

GBRF have the contract to shunt the Celsa (now 7 Steel) works - including incoming DB traffic from Tidal yard ex Sunderland / Rotherham / Kingsbury / Saltley / Swindon - and use the weighbridge area to stable locos (and spare wagons by the look of it). The scrap arriving into Cardiff Tidal on DB trains for Tremorfa is offloaded close to Rover Way (I can see some MBA wagons on Google Maps near the "7Steel UK Recycling - Cardiff" offices marked on the map). This is an unusual view through the fence:

Scrap metal train being unloaded at Cardiff Tremorfa works | poshingtonno1

As I understand it, the Wards scrap from Burton is offloaded from the dock branch somewhere near Longships Road, serving the Ward export terminal at Queen Alexandra Dock. https://www.ward.com/location/cardiff/

This is further down into the docks beyond Roath Dock / Ryans Wharf (where import steel is loaded) roughly where "Coastal Containers" used to be (with the end of the docks branch once serving the former Minimet oil terminal). 37712 with containers at Cardiff Docks in 2003: https://www.flickr.com/photos/93293618@N05/32602789448/ (Photo: FEWS FOTS)

The large blue shed in the background of that shot is still there on Google Maps - the photo must be taken from Longships Road at the point where the rail lines curve away from the road (well inside the docks with no public access).