Sizewell c construction traffic

[Adrian Barr]

There have been regular deliveries of stone in recent weeks from Tunstead to Ipswich Griffin Wharf, with Freightliner 66 or 70 traction and MWA bogie box wagons.

As a typical example, on Tuesday 17th March there was a 6L80 00:54 Tunstead - Ipswich Griffin Wharf (via Derby, Peterborough and a run-round at Parkeston) and a 17:01 6M01 return empties via the same route. This working seems to run once or twice a week, with Friday being the most frequent day for deliveries.

I'm not 100% sure this is related to Sizewell but it seems likely - any further info would be welcome!

These are links to two interesting drone shots of the Brett Aggregates facility where the trains arrive:

70007 at Griffin Wharf with 6L80 from Tunstead.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/68729621@N03/55119180523/ (Photo: Ian Sharman)

66616 with 6L80 from Tunstead. The area with stacked containers is earmarked for use in the Sizewell project.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/68729621@N03/54937209062/ (Photo: Ian Sharman)

The train usually runs with 21 or 22 wagons, so in those photos the train must have been split for unloading.

70011 seen from ground level in the terminal on 13th March as 6L80 is unloaded:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/tibshelf/55145842236/ (Photo: Keith Partlow)

A PDF from the Port of Ipswich shows the area likely to be used for Sizewell deliveries, adjacent to the Brett Aggregates site at Griffin Wharf:

EDF has secured a land option agreement for 15 acres at the Port of Ipswich. Located on the port's West Bank, this site is ideal for a tri-modal approach to Sizewell delivery. It allows goods to be transported by vessel, road, and rail.
https://www.abports.co.uk/media/gfvl1gr2/abp-sizewell-c-ports-of-ipswich-and-lowestoft_final.pdf

I'm not sure if the stone is being stockpiled, roaded to Sizewell pending full opening of the Ancillary Construction Area, or possibly used nearby by a Heidelberg concrete plant:

1 October 2025:
Around 35,000 cubic metres of concrete will be supplied over the next seven months, initially from our Ipswich concrete plant. We are also installing a mobile batching plant at the Sizewell C site, which is expected to be operational by the end of the year.
https://www.heidelbergmaterials.co.uk/en/news-and-events/concrete-supply-for-main-works-at-sizewell

Locations have been created in TOPS / TRUST for the Ancillary Construction Area (ACA) and Temporary Construction Area (TCA) at Sizewell, discussed in previous posts.

46188 SIZEWELL ACA NETWORK RAIL
46182 SIZEWELL TCA NETWORK RAIL

There are no WTT paths to the ACA (which may reflect its short-term role in the construction of the TCA rather than as the main delivery location for project materials) but the TCA has overnight WTT paths to and from Harwich Parkeston Yard:

Trains at SIZEWTCA (SIZEWELL TCA)
All trains from 00:01 to 24:00 on 19/03/26
Lc Arr Dep Wttid Origin Destination Typ Days From To TC
00:35 ***** 6T01 PARKQY YD 21:59 SIZEWTCA 00:35 WTT SX 160226 150526 B6
01:08 ***** 6T03 PARKQY YD 22:17 SIZEWTCA 01:08 WTT SX 160226 150526 B6
01:53 ***** 6T05 PARKQY YD 23:15 SIZEWTCA 01:53 WTT SX 151225 150526 B6
02:23 ***** 6T07 PARKQY YD 23:44 SIZEWTCA 02:23 WTT SX 020326 200326 B6
***** 02:42 4T20 SIZEWTCA 02:42 PARKQY YD 04:59 WTT MSX 170226 270326 B6
***** 03:23 4T22 SIZEWTCA 03:23 PARKQY YD 05:45 WTT MSX 170226 150526 B6
***** 04:05 4T24 SIZEWTCA 04:05 PARKQY YD 06:21 WTT MSX 170226 150526 B6
***** 04:32 4T26 SIZEWTCA 04:32 PARKQY YD 06:50 WTT MSX 170226 150526 B6

========

Edit: I also found this short article about the first train to the Ancillary Construction area, which has a couple of photos showing three sidings there. The rail infrastructure appears to be complete, but the surrounding terminal looks like a muddy work in progress so there could be some more work required (such as creation of concrete hardstanding and paved internal roads) before it can accept regular deliveries of materials. The article is recent but I think the pictures were taken in February - reported elsewhere but this has another angle giving a better view.
https://railmarket.com/news/freight...g-train-arrives-at-sizewell-c-nuclear-project

 

[Cowley]

Thread reopened for @Adrian Barr to update

 

[Adrian Barr]

Thanks for reopening the thread.

As reported in the news, the first commercial delivery of stone to Sizewell TCA (i.e. excluding engineering trains) occurred in the early hours of Tuesday 8th September. There were 8 trains in and out of Sizewell over the week.

See this post on the Sizewell website (there are also links to photos taken on site at Sizewell TCA at the bottom of that page):
https://www.sizewellc.com/news-view...rst-commercial-freight-train-arrives-on-site/

It reports the payload of each train as "more than 1,000 tonnes." I think most of the trains had 18 wagons or so, with the usual payload of each wagon reduced to keep the axle weight within the RA7 route availability for the line to Sizewell. The initial working was a bit confusing as the 4A54 return empties were reported running in TRUST on the 8th September, departing before the first train arrived! Following a bit of detective work, it appears 4A54 actually ran the following morning, as shown below.

The four Heavy Haul workings (using 66537 / 66603 / 66620) ran from Tunstead to Parkeston as 6L58 before forming 6D58. The loco and wagons then stayed at Sizewell for 24 hours to offload, before forming 4A54 back to Parkeston and 4M54 to Tunstead (except on Saturday morning where 66537 worked 4A70 to Parkeston and 6M70 to Barrow Hill).

The four DB workings were all hauled by 66118 direct from Mountsorrel as 6L11, with a run round at Ipswich. These had a couple of hours to offload before the return 4M22 working to Mountsorrel, with another run round at Ipswich.

A post by Freightmaster in the railfreight thread explains that the new link to Sizewell TCA has not been fully commissioned yet, with some more workings expected to run in October but the full commencement of services not expected until November: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/rail-freight-flows-and-news-uk.195217/post-7942666

Trains (and locos used) in first week of commercial services to Sizewell TCA:

Trains at SIZEWTCA
All trains from 00:01 to 24:00 on 08/09/26 TUE
Lc Arr Dep Wttid Origin TRUST report
01:41 ***** 6D58 PARKQY YD 22:17 Termin'd SIZEWTCA 02:35 54 min late 66537

Trains at SIZEWTCA
All trains from 00:01 to 24:00 on 09/09/26 WED
Lc Arr Dep Wttid Origin TRUST report
00:47 ***** 6L11 MNTSOREL 14:16 Termin'd SIZEWLDBC 01:05 18 min late 66118
01:41 ***** 6D58 PARKQY YD 22:17 Termin'd SIZEWTCA 02:00 19 min late 66620
***** 02:10 4A54 SIZEWTCA 02:10 Termin'd PARKQY YD 05:13 14 min late 66537
***** 03:31 4M22 SIZEWTCA 03:31 Termin'd MNTSOREL 09:21 10 min late 66118

Trains at SIZEWTCA
All trains from 00:01 to 24:00 on 10/09/26 THU
Lc Arr Dep Wttid Origin TRUST report
00:47 ***** 6L11 MNTSOREL 14:16 Termin'd SIZEWLDBC 00:47 on time 66118
01:41 ***** 6D58 PARKQY YD 22:17 Termin'd SIZEWTCA 01:58 17 min late 66603
***** 02:10 4A54 SIZEWTCA 02:10 Termin'd PARKQY YD 05:30 31 min late 66620
***** 03:31 4M22 SIZEWTCA 03:31 Termin'd MNTSOREL 09:09 2 min early 66118

Trains at SIZEWTCA
Selected trains from 00:01 to 24:00 on 11/09/26 FRI
Lc Arr Dep Wttid Origin TRUST report
01:04 ***** 6L11 MNTSOREL 14:16 Termin'd SIZEWLDBC 01:55 51 min late 66118
01:57 ***** 6D58 PARKQY YD 22:17 Termin'd SIZEWTCA 02:33 36 min late 66537
***** 02:10 4A54 SIZEWTCA 02:10 Termin'd PARKQY YD 05:15 16 min late 66603
***** 03:31 4M22 SIZEWTCA 03:31 Termin'd MNTSOREL 09:09 2 min early 66118

Trains at SIZEWTCA
Selected trains from 00:01 to 24:00 on 12/09/26 SAT
Lc Arr Dep Wttid Origin TRUST report
00:47 ***** 6L11 MNTSOREL 14:16 Termin'd SIZEWLDBC 01:15 28 min late 66118
***** 02:10 4A70 SIZEWTCA 02:10 Termin'd PARKQY YD 04:49 10 min early 66537
***** 03:20 4M32 SIZEWTCA 03:20 Termin'd TOTONN YD 10:20 13 min early 66118

============================================================

A couple of photo links:

66537 with 6L58 Tunstead to Parkeston (to form 6D58 to Sizewell)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/91977133@N04/55520008638/ (Photo: phil60007)

6L11 at Woodbridge with 66118:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/77792219@N08/55520103013/ (Photo: pnb511)

This PDF has some good detail on the Sizewell C Rail Project including works on the "green rail route" to Sizewell TCA, and the final track layouts planned for both the ACA and TCA sidings:
https://leistontowncouncil.gov.uk/w...g-to-Local-Councillors_251118-Rev-1-final.pdf