Heavy Axle Weight Restrictions
London has a rail capacity problem, for both freight and passenger trains.
This report from Network Rail is entitled The London Rail Freight Strategy (LRFS).
One of the secondary recommendations of the report is to improve the capacity to handle trains with heavy axle weight restrictions.
The report explains it like this.
In consultation with train drivers for the Freight Operating Companies and Network Rail structural engineers, this study has identified a list of Heavy Axle Weight restrictions on routes used by freight in London, which are known to negatively impact the movement of heavier trains around the
network.The resulting proposal, as part of the LRFS, is for packages of works to enable the removal of these restrictions to be progressed.
A general package of cross-London interventions, targeting structures across a variety of routes, has been outlined for development. In addition, a large stretch of the Gospel Oak-Barking Line, where Heavy Axle Weight traffic is subject to a blanket 20mph speed restriction, should be the focus of a dedicated package of works to facilitate the removal of that restriction and to strengthen the route so that it is capable of accommodating future
rail freight growth.Although these proposed packages of works should address the structures currently known to cause speed restrictions that negatively impact freight operations in London, maintaining the infrastructure to a level that can safely accommodate Heavy Axle Weight loads is an ongoing challenge for
Network Rail.There are no permanent fixes when dealing with structures that have been bearing railway traffic since the nineteenth century. Ongoing maintenance funding to prevent the need for HAW speed restrictions to be imposed in the first place is just as critical as interventions to remove existing ones.
It sounds to me that, as with Gauge Improvements Across London, there needs to be a full survey to identify all the places, where heavy axle weight is a problem.
It does sound from the report, that some of the remedial works will not be trivial.
Conclusion
I don’t think Network Rail will be keen to rebuild all the freight routes through London.
Related Posts
These are related posts about the London Rail Freight Strategy (LRFS).
Decarbonisation Of London’s Freight Routes
East Coast Main Line South Bi-Directional Capability
Gauge Improvements Across London
Headway Reductions On The Gospel Oak To Barking, North London and West London Lines
Kensal Green Junction Improvement
Longhedge Junction Speed Increases
Moving The West London Line AC/DC Switchover To Kensington Olympia
Moving The West London Line AC/DC Switchover To Shepherd’s Bush
Stratford Regulating Point Extension
Will Camden Road Station Get A Third Platform?
Will Clapham Junction Station Get A Platform 0?
June 27, 2021 - Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Freight, Gospel Oak And Barking Line, London Rail Freight Strategy, North London Line, West London Line
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Another interesting reason to impact cross London freight. There is much historical records about the Civil Engineers of the Old Companies fighting the Engine designers in the days of Steam over Wheel Hammer on bridges. Some engines with an axle load of 21 long tons static were giving an impact load of 132 tons at speed on the track. The Scottish railway companies and most English companies when accelerating services in the twenties and thirties had conflicting ideas of balancing out dynamic reciprocating loads. Are we still seeing that unscientific dogma being used, or have we moved on? If one was to calculate the fatigue life of existing Victorian bridge structures, how would they stand for fatigue life today, the Greenwich and South London Railway viaducts from New Cross to London Bridge are nearly two hundred years old, how safe are they considering they were constructed over a Marsh.
Comment by jagracer | June 27, 2021 |
Instead of building HS2, we should be building FR1 & FR2..dedicated east west/north south freight routes that are far enough away from London and populous areas to create a Greenfield, large loading gauge, heavy weight, electrified dual+ track freight railway.
Comment by MilesT | June 27, 2021 |
HI, I agree with your sentiments. In fact there was a line built for freight, continental loading gauge and easy gradients. It went from central London to Manchester. It was killed off by a State run Railway managed by jealous ex-Midland Railway managers. The City of London management stopped it crossing London to link with Paris, France. Yes the Great Central Railway, built 1900, dead, 1966. Most of the track bed is there, but the bridges were destroyed to stop re-opening, it ran throught most of the large cities in the Midlands, perfect!
Comment by jagracer | June 27, 2021 |
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