Fawley Oil trains Finale 25th August

[PaulRhB]

Told yesterday that the last train out of Fawley will be 25th August 2016. It's on Facebook now so I can share it here.

This will leave only the MOD traffic into Marchwood on the branch

[clachnaharry]

Are the Holybourne trains finishing then, or are they going to a different refinery?

[PaulRhB]

All we were told is all traffic has been cancelled as the pipeline will cover all traffic now.

[roundhouse]

So I guess that the line will be cut back to Marchwood?

[clachnaharry]

I can't see Marchwood signalbox surviving for very long. I don't think there is any reason why the branch could not be operated one train operation.

[Iron Horse]

You've got to feel for the Railfreight industry at the moment haven't you, petroleum, coal and potentially steel disappearing fast if only Speedlink/Enterprise could have worked

[woodenhead]

You've got to feel for the Railfreight industry at the moment haven't you, petroleum, coal and potentially steel disappearing fast if only Speedlink/Enterprise could have worked

Everything that isn't a bulk commodity is pretty much containerised, can't see how Speedlink or a variation of it would have worked in today's world.

 

A lot of Speedlink was also less than trainload steel, coal and chemicals, all the things that are going fast.

 

The problem with anything not in a container is the transhipment at either end for initial loading and onward delivery.

[PaulRhB]

It all depends on how they leave options open. There's the container port about to take over the MOD so it's more likely they will arrange an upgrade and attach the top end to Eastleigh if that goes ahead.

No further detail I'm privy too but I thought some might like to know.

Please respect the lineside fences and stay outside the barriers at the crossings if you pop down

[phil-b259]

So I guess that the line will be cut back to Marchwood?

 

For many years there have been occasional investigations into the resumption of passenger services and although the cessation of oil trains is unlikely to make that bigger difference overall it might start a fresh bout of discussions. Certainly anything that completely removes the possibility will be resisted and is likely to be more hassle than its worth.

 

As such, while the operational railway may well be cut back to Marchwood, the most likely situation will be similar to the Heathfield branch i.e. the line onwards to Fawley will simply mothballed.

 

(Note:- The Leamside line near Newcastle-uipon-Tyne is still offically owned by NR and is offically 'mothballed' despite the track having been completely lifted my metal theaves / NR)

[Zomboid]

Distances in this country mean that wagonload freight is just not economic. Shame, but until road haulage quadruples in price with no corresponding increase in the rail costs it's over for us.

And an oil pipeline has to be more economical and higher capacity than a train...

[Arpster]

Until road haulage companies are made to pay for the true costs of their operations (i.e. increased road maintenance and congestion, increased CO2 emissions and air pollution) then they'll always be able to undercut rail on wagonload freight.

Arp

[PaulRhB]

For many years there have been occasional investigations into the resumption of passenger services and although the cessation of oil trains is unlikely to make that bigger difference overall it might start a fresh bout of discussions.

Only problem is the Council have repeatedly said they cannot justify supporting the buses and the railway so as the buses are already there why invest in the railway. You can't run passenger services through the refinery site to Fawley itself as they would have kittens if a train had to be evacuated on site as mobiles etc are banned and even our bardic lamps have to be the special spark free type.

[Enterprisingwestern]

Until road haulage companies are made to pay for the true costs of their operations (i.e. increased road maintenance and congestion, increased CO2 emissions and air pollution) then they'll always be able to undercut rail on wagonload freight.

 

Arp

 

But you can't beat a pipeline.

 

Mike.

[ess1uk]

Would be nice to get a passenger service down the branch but can't see it happening

[F-UnitMad]

Until road haulage companies are made to pay for the true costs of their operations (i.e. increased road maintenance and congestion, increased CO2 emissions and air pollution) then they'll always be able to undercut rail on wagonload freight.

Arp

And as I've said elsewhere on here, I don't suppose it occurs to people that costs of haulage get passed on to the end user; whatever the costs are, or whether they're perceived as 'fair' or otherwise??

You want road haulage to pay more, you'll just increase the price of the goods carried. And rail freight won't be an alternative until a full network of goods depots and yards are built to handle everything. As most old goods yards are now car parks or housing estates, good luck with that.

[PenrithBeacon]

All we were told is all traffic has been cancelled as the pipeline will cover all traffic now.

Where does the pipeline go to? Presumably trains can start from there.

[Fat Controller]

Where does the pipeline go to? Presumably trains can start from there.

I think it's probably several pipelines. One runs to Bromford Bridge, next to Washwood Heath yard; it replaced the block oil trains that had ushered in the idea of company trains in the late 1950s. Trains were loaded there for forwarding to various destinations, both commercial terminals (amongst them, Abbey Foregate in Shrewsbury), and BR depots throughout the Midlands and North West.

[PaulRhB]

The official announcement on Facebook says all crude now arrives by sea and what was left of rail traffic will now go by sea or pipeline. The pipelines serve fuel depots direct so it just goes by road from existing depots. There's no detail but I assume Holybourne is either connected to the pipeline network now or its output is switching to a depot that is connected.

[phil-b259]

Only problem is the Council have repeatedly said they cannot justify supporting the buses and the railway so as the buses are already there why invest in the railway. You can't run passenger services through the refinery site to Fawley itself as they would have kittens if a train had to be evacuated on site as mobiles etc are banned and even our bardic lamps have to be the special spark free type.

All very true, but none of that prevents the line being mothballed does it?

 

As a general rule, people in positions of power are very wary of actually officially 'closing' a railway - one positive legacy of Beeching and the recent resurgence in passenger numbers being a reluctance to rule anything out for good.

[PaulRhB]

No there's nothing about closing down just mothballing at present by putting on reduced maintenance. As it had extensive work recently it won't fall apart quickly. The main issue on the branch is likely to be the trees will quickly grow across as there's already a 66 shaped avenue in places

[PaulRhB]

Some of us are booked on this so might be the last chance for a while

http://www.ukrailtours.com/product/the-andover-fist/

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Currently is there actually much (any?) oil traffic from/to Fawley?

 

Never seen any when I've been down that neck of the woods.....

[PaulRhB]

Yes usually a few trains a week but they run early between 7 and 9 so the branch often seems dead after 10.

Edited August 4, 2016 by PaulRhB

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Thanks Paul.

 

Just looked on "Realtime Trains" and one ran today.

[asmay2002]

And as I've said elsewhere on here, I don't suppose it occurs to people that costs of haulage get passed on to the end user; whatever the costs are, or whether they're perceived as 'fair' or otherwise??

You want road haulage to pay more, you'll just increase the price of the goods carried. And rail freight won't be an alternative until a full network of goods depots and yards are built to handle everything. As most old goods yards are now car parks or housing estates, good luck with that.

 

The costs are paid by the end user whichever way you look at it.  Damage to roads is proportional to the fourth power of the axleload so a quick bit of maths tells you that the trucking industry is vastly subsidised by the taxpayer.  The only question for the taxpayer is where you pay the money - either in taxation or in the cost of goods you buy. A return to wagonload freight isn't likely because of the capital investment involved but that doesn't mean that we aren't being swindled by the trucking industry.