GRAIN CROSSING, Kent.

[fulton]

Had a trip to the Isle of Grain yesterday, fortunately for us if not the other road users, we were stopped at Grain Crossing as a Class 66 with empty stone wagons passed to Grain, How often does this service run and does the container port still use the rail connection? Semaphore signals still in use, must be some of the last, as are the manual crossing gates, the signalperson, not sure of the correct term, a women in this case, travels with the train and opens up Grain Crossing ground frame box, which controls the road crossing. If you like desolate places the Grain foreshore between the Thames and Medway estuaries is worth a visit. 

[Mike Storey]

Marinex, Foster Yeoman and Thamesport are the primary freight customers for the Isle of Grain, involving aggregates from Scotland and from dredging the Thames, (currently) concrete rings for the Thames sewer project from Lincolnshire, and the odd few container trains, but I think the latter are few and far between now (any better info someone?).

 

It has been estimated that the line generates one train an hour somewhere along its length (Mon-Fri) but I doubt that somehow, these days.

 

I cannot find any link to a definitive WTT for freight in this area. Someone will come up with one, no doubt!!

 

[eastwestdivide]

Don’t think the container trains run any more, despite a regular shipping run there, the A2B Future - look for it on one of the vessel finder websites. 
The concrete rings run at night usually, plus a few (sometimes none) aggregates trains in the daytime. 
There’s also aviation fuel for Heathrow (to Colnbrook, but Colnbrook also receives some of the aggregate trains).
Source: eagle-eyed watching of realtimetrains* while in lockdown with my aged mother in Hoo!

*try searching for Cliffe signal nk509 to see what goes up and down, although that also catches trains to/from Cliffe sea dredged aggregates works which don’t traverse Grain Crossing. When trains run, they don’t often get reports in RTT east of Cliffe until after the event. 
 

here’s today:

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/detailed/gb-nr:CLFFD12/2022-08-03/0000-2359?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt

and for yesterday, I make it 7 trains in 24 hours to or from Grain, plus 8 more to or from Cliffe

Edited August 3, 2022 by eastwestdivide
More info

[Bob83a]

The concrete rings for the Thames sewer may have already ended but rings for HS2 will be starting soon, the schedules are shown but it has not run yet.

 

The TBM’s for the Ruislip to Greenford tunnels are almost complete, so these services should start later this month or next month.

 

It is odd that these rings are coming via Grain while the Chiltern Tunnels have their own factory only a few couple of miles from Ruislip.

 

 

[The Stationmaster]

Or you can search on RTT for Grain Level Crossing

 

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/detailed/gb-nr:GRAINLC/2022-08-04/0600-2000?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt

[Fat Controller]

14 hours ago, Bob83a said:

The concrete rings for the Thames sewer may have already ended but rings for HS2 will be starting soon, the schedules are shown but it has not run yet.

 

The TBM’s for the Ruislip to Greenford tunnels are almost complete, so these services should start later this month or next month.

 

It is odd that these rings are coming via Grain while the Chiltern Tunnels have their own factory only a few couple of miles from Ruislip.

 

 

It might be that there's no space for laying down semi-complete segments in the immediate vicinity of the Ruislip- Greenford tunnels. If there's space at Grain, I can see them using the existing facilities there. 

[nightstar.train]

On 03/08/2022 at 20:58, Bob83a said:

The concrete rings for the Thames sewer may have already ended but rings for HS2 will be starting soon, the schedules are shown but it has not run yet.

 

The TBM’s for the Ruislip to Greenford tunnels are almost complete, so these services should start later this month or next month.

 

It is odd that these rings are coming via Grain while the Chiltern Tunnels have their own factory only a few couple of miles from Ruislip.

 

 

 

I expect the factory at the Chiltern tunnel is at capacity building the tunnels and the viaduct. Plus it is not rail connected so any segments built there would have to leave by road. HS2 are trying to reduce lorry movements where possible, so getting the segments made elsewhere and then moved by ship and rail makes sense.