Traffic using Wolverhampton Steel Terminal

[wulfruna]

Can anyone list the trains booked to work to/from Wolverhampton Steel Terminal for each day of the week?

My main interest is where these trains come from, and where they go when leaving the terminal.

I assume the terminal takes delivery of steel bars and rolls, and returns empty trains?

Many thanks if you can help.

 

[The Planner]

Do a line up at MNMRGRN on opentraintimes and you will pick them all up. Margam, Immingham and Aldwarke normally.

 

[wulfruna]

Many thanks for that Planner. When you know the codes – the trains appear as if by magic! Many thanks.

 

[dk1]

If you mean Round Oak, then me last Saturday on the excellent UKR "Whitehouse Wanderer"

 

[Freightmaster]

My main interest is where these trains come from...

There are two arrivals most mornings:

- 6M99 from Immingham, which can also convey traffic from Scunthorpe and/or Rotherham.

- 6M58 from South Wales (either Llanwern or Margam)

...and where they go when leaving the terminal.

6M99 returns to Immingham as 6E08 and 6M58 returns as 6V52,
usually to Newport Docks.

MARK

 

[The Planner]

It is a nightmare to try and shoe horn them down that corridor, crossing at Monmore Green at around 10mph and again at Soho North, they are 99% certain to nail something behind them.

 

[RichmondCommu]

It's a miracle that we still have a manufacturing base in the West Midlands that can support this terminal!

 

[wulfruna]

Mark, thanks for the info. Most useful to know.

RichmondCommu, there is still a lot of component industry in these parts. This is helped by Jaguar who are building their new engine plant between Penderford and Coven Heath – north of Wolverhampton on the Staffordshire border. Contentious issue being that there is no rail link from this huge complex to the Grand Junction. Trains moving completed engines could travel between this plant and the main Jaguar car plant at Castle Bromwich. Instead, money is being spent improving road access between the i54 complex and M54 motorway.

Planner, I too wonder how serving this terminal affects the existing and predicted growth in passenger traffic on the Stour Valley/Grand Junction.

Interested to hear from drivers who work these trains to Wolverhampton Steel Terminal. Problems encountered en-route, especially around Grand Junction and Stour Valley lines. Is it difficult to keep to time?

Why do the trains from Immingham/Scunthorpe/Rotherham pass through Toton and not stop – why not go a more direct route via Derby instead? Lack of paths? Gradients? Lack of passing points?

If the Stourbridge to Walsall link were back in use, then I would assume the traffic from Wales would not need to go up the Lickey and thus be banked? Trains would instead be routed via Worcester, Stourbridge, Round Oak, Dudley, Bescot then as normal GJ, Perry Barr, Soho, SV, Monmore.

 

[The Planner]

Predicted growth would have to factor the steel traffic in, you cannot suddenly just stop it as they have contractual rights to the services. They are not very good runners as they are squeezed in, but they cannot be given any extra time due to lack of capacity. Worcester would need re-signalling before you could really utilise Stourbridge Bescot as it is a constraint, though judging by the pace that any re-opening is taking that is likely to happen anyway.