Increased intermodal flows through Leicester?

[londonmidland]

Hi all.

Amongst the usual intermodal flows, I’ve noticed a few ‘new’ flows through Leicester, which aren’t/haven’t in the past been routed this way, usually.

This includes Ditton to Felixstowe North, Felixstowe North to Garston, as well as East Midlands Gateway to Felixstowe South flows.

Is this a short term plan due to engineering works taking place somewhere along their usual routes or is it now their permanent routing?

Thanks.

 

[66701GBRF]

EMG to Felixstowe South isn't new. Has been running at least a year, before that it was Hams Hall to Felixstowe South in the same path and headcode (4L04).

 

[londonmidland]

EMG to Felixstowe South isn't new. Has been running at least a year, before that it was Hams Hall to Felixstowe South in the same path and headcode (4L04).

Sorry, I didn't mean a new flow, I meant has it always been routed this way?

 

[66701GBRF]

Sorry, I didn't mean a new flow, I meant has it always been routed this way?

Indeed it has.

 

[Class15]

The Ditton - Felixstowe used to be routed via Camden Road. It used to have the headcode 4L92, now 4L54. I assume this is to take pressure off the NLL so that the extra trains to London Gateway next month can all run okay?

The 4M81 (via Leicester) initially replaced 4M87 as a Trafford Park (via Camden) but now runs to Garston instead.

Don’t know why so much has switched to going via Leicester recently. Shame for us spotters in London, but at least the passenger service becomes more reliable…

 

[londonmidland]

Don’t know why so much has switched to going via Leicester recently. Shame for us spotters in London, but at least the passenger service becomes more reliable…

That’s what I was getting at - is it to avoid the busy London commuter routes, such as the NLL and GOBLIN?

 

[Class15]

That’s what I was getting at - is it to avoid the busy London commuter routes, such as the NLL and GOBLIN?

I assume so, although nothing from Felixstowe goes via the GOBLIN (except for one a day to retain route knowledge). There are some freights in particular that have difficult/impossible paths to stick to and are often late onto the NLL like 4M94 and, worst of all, 4L67. Regularly my afternoon eastbound service is overtaken by this train due to its late running.

Also, as shown only earlier today (6O59 Bardon Hill to Angerstein Wharf), a failure of a freight can be very problematic on the line.

 

[Class 170101]

worst of all, 4L67. Regularly my afternoon eastbound service is overtaken by this train due to its late running.

This train is a reasonably recent addition and poor for punctuality

 

[Class15]

This train is a reasonably recent addition and poor for punctuality

Yes, I agree. I have no idea how that one got accepted in the first place particularly as Freightliner have a considerably more realistic (and better for punctuality) 4L90 path just 2-3 hours behind which they are not making use of.

 

[66701GBRF]

Yes, I agree. I have no idea how that one got accepted in the first place particularly as Freightliner have a considerably more realistic (and better for punctuality) 4L90 path just 2-3 hours behind which they are not making use of.

They might get it to Ipswich better but there is no capacity Ipswich to Felixstowe at that time of evening. That portion of the 4L90 path is used by 4L09 Leeds-Felixstowe.

 

[Class15]

They might get it to Ipswich better but there is no capacity Ipswich to Felixstowe at that time of evening. That portion of the 4L90 path is used by 4L09 Leeds-Felixstowe.

Then please do explain how it was able to run for so many years, before suddenly being chopped in January 2024?

 

[66701GBRF]

Then please do explain how it was able to run for so many years, before suddenly being chopped in January 2024?

Presumably 4L09 didn’t run when 4L90 did.

 

[Trainman40083]

I assume so, although nothing from Felixstowe goes via the GOBLIN (except for one a day to retain route knowledge). There are some freights in particular that have difficult/impossible paths to stick to and are often late onto the NLL like 4M94 and, worst of all, 4L67. Regularly my afternoon eastbound service is overtaken by this train due to its late running.

Also, as shown only earlier today (6O59 Bardon Hill to Angerstein Wharf), a failure of a freight can be very problematic on the line.

Can trains from Felixstowe access the Goblin Line? I know those from, say London Gateway can access the NLL from a section of line from Barking to the GE mainline North of Stratford.

 

[Class15]

Can trains from Felixstowe access the Goblin Line? I know those from, say London Gateway can access the NLL from a section of line from Barking to the GE mainline North of Stratford.

Yes they can, via Lea Bridge and South Tottenham. Very inefficient (lots of junctions on the West Anglia route) and only one goes this way to retain route knowledge.

 

[Trainman40083]

Yes they can, via Lea Bridge and South Tottenham. Very inefficient (lots of junctions on the West Anglia route) and only one goes this way to retain route knowledge.

Shows I don't know that route. I suspect TfL would rather they did not use either route.

 

[Class15]

Shows I don't know that route. I suspect TfL would rather they did not use either route.

In an ideal world they’d all run via Leicester. However this clearly cannot be done because of the lack of wires and the capacity problems on that line.

 

[Trainman40083]

In an ideal world they’d all run via Leicester. However this clearly cannot be done because of the lack of wires and the capacity problems on that line.

I think it is Ely / Haughley Junction, Soham that are the biggest constraints at the moment, but if they put extra services on between Leicester and Nuneaton ( thinking of this Hinckley rail terminal where they talk of 16 trains a day) it will get interesting. At some point, you would think that some form of grade separation at Syston would be needed. Maybe even double tracking, reinstatement of the slow lines north and south of Leicester.

 

[Class15]

I think it is Ely / Haughley Junction, Soham that are the biggest constraints at the moment, but if they put extra services on between Leicester and Nuneaton ( thinking of this Hinckley rail terminal where they talk of 16 trains a day) it will get interesting. At some point, you would think that some form of grade separation at Syston would be needed. Maybe even double tracking, reinstatement of the slow lines north and south of Leicester.

It’s all going to be academic soon with the switch to London Gateway for many freights.

 

[Trainman40083]

It’s all going to be academic soon with the switch to London Gateway for many freights.

Be fun around London and the West Coast Mainline. But then it might give Felixstowe potential to run other trains, where containers are currently sent by road along the A14