The New Trimley Freight Loop And Trimley Station
Felixstowe Port is the UK’s largest container port and it generates a lot of freight traffic on the Felixstowe Branch Line.
So a 1.4 km. loop is being added to the line at Trimley to enable more freight trains to enter and leave the port.
I took these pictures as I went to and from Trimley station.
This Google Map shows the section of line, that will effectively be doubled.
I do have a few thoughts on various issues.
How Many Extra Freight Trains Will Be Possible?
This page on the Network Rail web site, is entitled Felixstowe Branch Line Works To Unlock More Freight And More Reliable Passenger Services.
This is said.
The work on the branch line in this area will support up to 10 additional trains in each direction to move goods to and from the Port of Felixstowe.
I assume the frequency is in trains per day.
I would assume that with careful scheduling of the freight trains, one train per hour (tph) will be able to move reliably to and from each of the two rail freight terminals at the Port.
There are certainly upwards of thirty scheduled trains per day to and from the Port at the present time, so another ten will obviously need the ability to run two tph both ways for most of the day.
Is The Loop Long Enough?
Network Rail are working towards the UK network being able to handle freight trains up to a maximum length of 775 metres.
At a length of 1.4 km, the loop may not be long enough to accommodate two maximum length trains, if perhaps something goes wrong on the Great Eastern Main Line, like a track or signalling failure.
I would hope Network Rail have done their track planning!
Passenger Services
The Network Rail web page implies that passenger services will be more reliable.
So how would a freight loop improve passenger services?
I suspect that just as the number of freight paths each way will be a reliable two in every hour, the number of passenger paths will also be doubled.
The second path in the hour would be useful for two reasons.
- If say there was a train or signalling failure, then the service can be recovered once the fault is fixed using the second path.
- If demand on the branch were to increase substantially or a boost was needed for a special event, Greater Anglia could put on a second service.
Greater Anglia have ordered 38 Class 755 trains and they will be running direct routes to five destinations from Ipswich, so I suspect the operator could station a spare train at Ipswich to deal with disruptions, like the inevitable level crossing accidents that happen in East Anglia.
Will The Felixstowe Branch Line Ever Be Electrified?
This picture is from the Network Rail web page.
It illustrates why ports are not keen to electrify.
Containers do get dropped and a single mistake by a crane driver or the controlling automation could shut the rail terminal.
Class 66 locomotives may be an environmental disaster, but they are an affordable and reliable locomotive for ports and freight operators.
New locomotive types like the Class 88 locomotive are being ordered, which could work a port without electrification and change to and from electrification at a safe distance outside the port. The Class 88 locomotives can even do this at line speed.
There would also be no point in electrifying the Felixstowe branch line without electrifying the route all the way between Felixstowe and Nuneaton, which is the route a lot of freight trains take.
I think it is more likely, that innovative locomotive engineers will design a locomotive capable of pulling the longest trains on electricity or diesel, efficiently across the country. After all, using large environmentally unfriendly diesel locomotives is not a problem confined to the UK, so there are millions to be made, by designing the right locomotive for today.
Grayling Gives Green Light To Double Track On Part Of Felixstowe Line
The title of this post is the same as that of this article in the East Anglian Daily Times.
This page on the Network Rail web site gives more details.
This is said.
Building the additional track will help increase the capacity of the Felixstowe branch line and take lorries off the road. It will also mean more reliable journeys for passengers traveling between Ipswich and Felixstowe.
There is also this map, which shows where a second track is being added to the Felixstowe Branch Line between Trimley station and Grimston Lane level crossing.
Note that six level crossings are also being removed, with the one at Gun Lane being replaced with a bridge, which seems to be a bit controversial.
Freight Traffic On The Line
The East Anglian Article says this.
This will allow up to 47 freight trains to run per day, 14 more trains than can currently run on the single line. Each train can carry the equivalent of 60 lorry loads, meaning fewer lorries on busy roads such as the A14.
That is quite a lot of freight and a forty-two percent increase in the number of trains.
Trimley Station
Trimley station will be the Southern end of the new track.
This Google Map shows Trimley station.
Note.
- Cordy’s Lane crossing the line at Trimley station.
- The line to Flelixstowe Port (North) going South.
- The line to Felixstowe station going straight on.
Judging by the number of houses on the South side of the track, I would assume that an automatic level crossing is being installed there.
Noise, Smell And Vibration
The Felixstowe Branch Line illustrates one of the problems of the various freight locomotives and especially the ubiquitous Class 66 locomotive. The locomotives are not particularly environmentally-friendly, especially when they are hauling up to forty truck with containers.
I think that some parts of the branch need to have noise mitigation measures installed, otherwise there will be serious levels of complaint.
New Locomotives Are Needed
This article in Rail Magazine is entitled GB Railfreight In ‘Locomotive Acquisition’ Talks, so at least one company thinks so!
In Jumbo Trains Are Arriving, I mused about the type of train required.
I came to this conclusion.
Some more powerful freight locomotives are needed, but the designs should be available.
I would add to that now. The locomotives would need to be dual-mode and a lot more environmentally-friendly/
The Anonymous Widower 