DY444 Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 An SNCF TGV postal set is scheduled to visit St.Pancras tomorrow morning if anyone is interested. http://www.londoncar..._in.php?news=16 Reports I've seen suggest it will be there between 0930 and 1130. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Ramblin Rich Posted March 20, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 20, 2012 Thanks for pointing this out, seems a very interesting & bold venture. As it's working to take air cargo onto the rails, I obviously have to say "I hope this service takes off" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Gerbil-Fritters Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 Rats, I'm not due into StP until 16.35 so I shall miss it... what a shame, would love to have seen that stunner. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted March 20, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 20, 2012 I wonder how much 'parcels'/'logistics' traffic Eurostar is handling at present - anybody know? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
billbedford Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 UPS seems to be using rail links, at the moment for parcels, from the low countries to their Barking depot. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidB-AU Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 I wonder how much 'parcels'/'logistics' traffic Eurostar is handling at present - anybody know? Esprit Europe is Eurostar's parcels service. It currently turns over about 1 million euros per year. It could do more but there is limited space on t Euro Carex (Cargo Rail Express) plans to do a lot more. It is a consortium of SNCF, Europorte (the parent company of GB Railfreight), La Poste, Air France-KLM and FedEx. They have 25 new high speed trains on order. The target market is express parcels and things currently carried as air freight. Cheers David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Ron Ron Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 I'm slightly concerned about the idea of using St. Pancras as a cargo terminal. Since the re-building, surely this station is hardly suitable for such an an operation. Not only are the platforms unsuitable, the surrounding roads either have parking restrictions due to the traffic flows, or are congested. Plus the East side of the station is largely the pedestrianised area linking the KX - SPI complex together and with the Kings Cross Lands development. I have a horrid vision of platforms cluttered with trolleys and debris and of the fixtures and fittings getting battered and damaged, ruining this wonderful stations new character. Hopefully there is a plan for a proper freight terminus? . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisf Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 I'm wondering if it is just a trial run of a TGV into St Pancras and that it is a postal one is incidental. Someone will know ... Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Ron Ron Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 I'm wondering if it is just a trial run of a TGV into St Pancras and that it is a postal one is incidental. Someone will know ... This is at least the second TGV to visit SPI Chris. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glorious NSE Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 Ron, I think there is an idea to put a proper freight terminal in the Barking area initially. Given it's a bi-directional train and there aren't likely to be heaps of them moving it could conceivably be quite a simple affair? It appears to have been moved on HS1 by their diesel rescue loco's, so my guess is there's more 'show-offery' than realistic testing going on with it's appearance at St Pancras. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted March 21, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 21, 2012 No problem with St Pancras - just knock down that library thing and rebuild Somers Town cartage depot! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
St. Simon Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 Hi, For those with Facebook, Model Rail have posted several pictures of the TGV at St. Pancras on their page. Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 Ron, I think there is an idea to put a proper freight terminal in the Barking area initially. Given it's a bi-directional train and there aren't likely to be heaps of them moving it could conceivably be quite a simple affair? It appears to have been moved on HS1 by their diesel rescue loco's, so my guess is there's more 'show-offery' than realistic testing going on with it's appearance at St Pancras. I was on nights last night, and heard the 'track-to-train' from the Krupps, advising they'd be stopping at the ET/NR interface to pick up a pilot- when I went upstairs, I could see the Krupps quite clearly, but couldn't discern the TGV to identify it. They did a similar move last week, presumably to devise a way of running round the stock to avoid having a pair of diesels on the stops at St Pancras when the press arrived. They'd probably be using the freight chords at Ripple Lane/Barking when running operationally- there's a bit of space on the site of the old yard, I believe. I anticipate my work in-box will have some piccies in it when I go in on Friday.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted March 21, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 21, 2012 I'm slightly concerned about the idea of using St. Pancras as a cargo terminal. Since the re-building, surely this station is hardly suitable for such an an operation. Not only are the platforms unsuitable, the surrounding roads either have parking restrictions due to the traffic flows, or are congested. Plus the East side of the station is largely the pedestrianised area linking the KX - SPI complex together and with the Kings Cross Lands development. I have a horrid vision of platforms cluttered with trolleys and debris and of the fixtures and fittings getting battered and damaged, ruining this wonderful stations new character. Hopefully there is a plan for a proper freight terminus?. In view of the severe lack of platform capacity at St Pancras International and capacity problems at the Eurostar depot at Temple Mills I would have though it a near impossibility to use the passenger station - and that's before we even look at such niceties as road access and the lack of space for any handling facilities underneath the platforms themselves. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Ramblin Rich Posted March 21, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 21, 2012 How about the Willesden Royal Mail RDC? Built for the job & unused I believe! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisf Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 This is at least the second TGV to visit SPI Chris. I'd be grateful if you would remind us about the other/s Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talltim Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 Royal Mail TPO by bescotbeast, on Flickr and hope they don't do this 1982 7-4 Postal Van at Kings X by The Gang of 3, on Flickr Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Stuart A Posted March 21, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 21, 2012 I'd be grateful if you would remind us about the other/s Chris http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/38723-tgv-makes-secret-visit-to-london/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 I'd be grateful if you would remind us about the other/s Chris The one used for track and catenary measurements (IRIS) has also visited; in both cases they've had to either be hauled, or moved under their own power within possessions, as they don't have the appropriate version of TVM430 for either the Channel Tunnel or CTRL. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium DavidLong Posted March 21, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 21, 2012 How about the Willesden Royal Mail RDC? Built for the job & unused I believe! Used daily by Class 325s for services to Warrington and Shieldmuir. Might be a slight gauge issue getting a TGV in there though. . . David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Ramblin Rich Posted March 21, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 21, 2012 Used daily by Class 325s for services to Warrington and Shieldmuir. Might be a slight gauge issue getting a TGV in there though. . . David Thanks, hadn't realised the 325s still ran from there.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 Used daily by Class 325s for services to Warrington and Shieldmuir. Might be a slight gauge issue getting a TGV in there though. . . David Also one or two accessibility issues from CTRL to WCML if you're thinking of daytime use- the connection between the two was designed before LOL upgraded the NLL service to 4 tph. Trying to send anything via the link would involve the services on HS1 being slowed from Thames Tunnels onwards. The logical terminal would be at Barking, as it has good links to the M25 and Central London. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Ron Ron Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 Having found a few news items on this, I've gleaned the following... As Martyn says, they propose to use a new terminal at the Ripple Lane, Barking sidings. This was not a "test run", just a PR visit. The La Poste TGV was just hired in for this PR stunt, they won't be used for the proposed Euro CAREX services. A new fleet of trains are being ordered for the Euro CAREX network. From what I can see, the purpose of the Euro CAREX operation is to transport freight to and from Europe's major Air Cargo hubs, replacing some of the feeder flights and also lorry journeys. So this is basically part of Air Freight operations. The service from London will take freight to European mainland airports for onward shipment. There's potential there for pinching business from operations from UK bases, to the benefit of European cargo airline rivals. However, having said that, there are dozens of flights ever night taking cargo to these European cargo hubs. Some of this will probably transfer to the rail service, particularly the services from the SE. IIRC, the first TGV to visit SPI was the IRIS track test train? . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve fay Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 I hope this takes off. Why 2017 though for regular serices? it seems to take such along time to do any thing! What sets do the parcel operators have on order? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Ron Ron Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 Why 2017 though for regular serices? it seems to take such along time to do any thing! What sets do the parcel operators have on order? You've answered your own question Steve. They haven't got any trains yet. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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