'China freight train' in first trip to Barking

[route:oxford]

China uses AAR automatic centre couplers

Is that genuine AAR (Association of American Railroads) couplers or cheap Chinese knock-offs?

 

[pompeyfan]

Like others, im confused as to what is powering the 92...!

 

[GB]

I'm sure it was probably shunted there in the conventional manner for photo purposes.

 

[168lover]

Just seen photos, a 66 was at the rear of the train.

 

[SpacePhoenix]

If it takes off could it serve to encourage the conversion of some of the 3rd rail from Southampton Container Terminal, through Basingstoke and upto Reading where they'd meet what ill be the existing OLE?

 

[Dr_Paul]

Based on the video description I'm guessing it was this: 672B 2104 Dollands Moor Sdgs to Ripple Lane Exch Sdgs

That's interesting -- taking a freight up the high-speed line from Ashford. I didn't know that this was done. I can see why: it avoids having to go right around London via Willesden and Stratford, and can use OHL throughout.

 

[furnessvale]

That's interesting -- taking a freight up the high-speed line from Ashford. I didn't know that this was done. I can see why: it avoids having to go right around London via Willesden and Stratford, and can use OHL throughout.

Freight have been using HS1 for some time.

Only the Calais migrant problem stops there being more and indeed has caused the suspension of at least one regular HS1 freight.

 

[HSTEd]

That's interesting -- taking a freight up the high-speed line from Ashford. I didn't know that this was done. I can see why: it avoids having to go right around London via Willesden and Stratford, and can use OHL throughout.

The route is also entirely cleared for GB+ (maybe GC) vehicles.

 

[RichmondCommu]

Freight have been using HS1 for some time.

Only the Calais migrant problem stops there being more and indeed has caused the suspension of at least one regular HS1 freight.

From what I understand the migrant problem has caused freight services to be down by around 30%. In which case why on earth can't those freight services run non stop to Dollands Moor before changing loco?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

If it takes off could it serve to encourage the conversion of some of the 3rd rail from Southampton Container Terminal, through Basingstoke and upto Reading where they'd meet what ill be the existing OLE?

Sorry but I don't follow your logic.

 

[infoman]

Can any one supply details of the route the train took from China to Europe?

 

[HLE]

Glad this wasn't an idea thought up here, they'd have it DOO without a PNB all the way on a 6 mile long schedule card!

Loving it.

 

[Cherub]

Hi, everybody!

English is NOT my first language, so excuse me in advance for possible misprints :roll:. Also, I'm neither technician, nor a specialist in railways, so my questions may seem stupid to some gurus. Anyway:

The information I have upon the yesterday arrival of the freight train from China to London is based upon youtube clips, like this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxGnZm8PY8w,​

and photos like this

.

Question 1. The locomotive I see is apparently the BRC 92 No.92015. Wikipedia says it's the electric locomotive, however I do not see any overhead wires above or the 3rd rail beside.

Am I right in my assumption this is the BRC 92, or this is another locomotive?

Question 2. Another object of my passionate interest is the number of times when the Chinese intermodal containers were transferred between the flatcars of different gauge.

Owing to the difference between the Russian (1520) and European (1435) gauges there should be at least one such reloading enroute. One of the chinese videos showed some marshalling yard and the overhead crane inscribed "PKP" in big letters. Although I don't know Chinese :roll: , I guessed that this videography could come from Poland (PKP = Poland's Railways), and thus the intermodal containers could be transferred from 1520-mm flatcars to 1435-mm ones somewhere after Brest (Byelorussia).

(How many other reloads of containers took place along the route?) - question void, just found the answer, see [POST=2851671]my next message[/POST]

In fact, the containers will be transloaded again at Duisburg. Brest - Duisburg is on PKP wagons, Duisburg - Barking on DB wagons.

What is the reason for reloading of containers in Duisburg?

 

[SpacePhoenix]

From what I understand the migrant problem has caused freight services to be down by around 30%. In which case why on earth can't those freight services run non stop to Dollands Moor before changing loco?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


Sorry but I don't follow your logic.

Not all containter traffic into Southampton will go/come from the east, some will be going to/from Southern Europe or the states and Canada

 

[Cherub]

Just seen photos, a 66 was at the rear of the train.

Sorry, I don't know English to the proper extent. Do you mean that the train arriving to the place of the official welcome ceremony was pushed with another locomotive from behind?

(I've just asked above about the BRC 92 No.92015 which I see in front of the train)

 

[SpacePhoenix]

According to the blurb at the start of this vid, there was a 66 propelling it from the rear

[youtube]slzGLq0dNJs[/youtube]

 

[Cherub]

According to the blurb at the start of this vid, there was a 66 propelling it from the rear

[youtube]slzGLq0dNJs[/youtube]

Thanx! I'm just answering questions from non-specialists at my end.

To be more exact, No. 66 038 appears in view at 06:45 of this 10:21-long video
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

How many other reloads of containers took place along the route?

Just found the answer to my previous question:

"The two breaks of gauge between China and Europe’s 1 435 mm standard gauge and the 1 520 mm broad gauge used in the former USSR required transhipment at Dostyk on the China-Kazakhstan border and at Brest on the Belarus-Poland border."


railwaygazette.com​

 

[Domh245]

To be more exact, No. 66 038 appears in view at 06:45 of this 10:21-long video

66136 actually. 66038 is over on the continent.

 

[GatwickDepress]

Funnily enough my employer recently posted an internal news article about shipping freight from China via the Trans-Siberian Railway. The difference is our cargo gets transferred to road in Belarus.

 

[theironroad]

If it takes off could it serve to encourage the conversion of some of the 3rd rail from Southampton Container Terminal, through Basingstoke and upto Reading where they'd meet what ill be the existing OLE?

I'm not sure I understand your point here in context of this thread.

The reason for this China to UK rail trip was to dramatically cut the shipment time compared to the sea journey. Erecting ole from Southampton to reading isn't going to any massive difference to journey times, might be a few minutes quicker that's about it.

The China/uk train was to get goods here quicker for companies without the prohibitive costs of air freight.

As I'm sure you know ole from Southampton to reading has been in proposed in nr plans but I think it's own hold for now, though others may have better info. I'd imagine with the ole issues on the western and deferment on east Midlands this would be slipping way down the priority list.

 

[Cherub]

Dear friends! Due to the abovementioned reason

English is NOT my first language, so excuse me in advance for possible misprints

I would appreciate your assistance in the possible correction of the following text I've just added to the article British Rail Class 92 in Wikipedia.

On January, 18, 2017 the specially branded 92015 locomotive hauled the first train of twenty flatcars with 40ft intermodal containers to Barking in London thus opening the direct rail freight service between UK and China. The train left Yiwu Xi station in eastern China’s Zhejiang province on January 1 and covered 7456 miles​

Thanks in advance for corrections and other improvements of this information.

 

[stanley T]

Although quicker than by sea, and cheaper than by plane, I should imagine that it would be more expensive than by sea. It would be interesting to know the cost difference. There must be a market for shipments which are not urgent, but need to be quicker than 70-80 days on a ship.

Just to clarify, did they tranship the containers at the two breaks of gauge (Kazakh and Belarus borders) or were variable gauge axles used?

 

[Clip]

Although quicker than by sea, and cheaper than by plane, I should imagine that it would be more expensive than by sea. It would be interesting to know the cost difference. There must be a market for shipments which are not urgent, but need to be quicker than 70-80 days on a ship.

Just to clarify, did they tranship the containers at the two breaks of gauge (Kazakh and Belarus borders) or were variable gauge axles used?

I think in the press release they agreed it was more expensive than by ship but for certain goods it was worth it due to being time sensitive - article on front page

 

[ac6000cw]

Although quicker than by sea, and cheaper than by plane, I should imagine that it would be more expensive than by sea. It would be interesting to know the cost difference. There must be a market for shipments which are not urgent, but need to be quicker than 70-80 days on a ship.

According to this site, it's typically only 25-35 days at sea for China to UK (depending on where you start in China).

Just to clarify, did they tranship the containers at the two breaks of gauge (Kazakh and Belarus borders) or were variable gauge axles used?

Transhipped three times (at the two gauge changes plus Duisburg in Germany - see post #10).

 

[HSTEd]

Additionally by mid century it might be expected that for part of the year signficant traffic will flow over the Northern route and thus have a much shorter journey.

 

[Lockwood]

The route knowledge you would need for this... Ouch.

 

[xtradj]

16 days it takes? Madness

 

[Wavertreelad]

Although quicker than by sea, and cheaper than by plane, I should imagine that it would be more expensive than by sea. It would be interesting to know the cost difference. There must be a market for shipments which are not urgent, but need to be quicker than 70-80 days on a ship.

Just to clarify, did they tranship the containers at the two breaks of gauge (Kazakh and Belarus borders) or were variable gauge axles used?

Depending on which port you start, the transit time by ship from China to the UK is between 24 and 33 days, although some routings can be longer because not all ports have direct connections.

Seafreight rates between the Far East and North Europe have started to rise in recent months as the shipping lines have cut back on capacity, but at the time same introducing larger vessels so that most services are now operated by vessels of 10000 teu plus up to 20000 teu. The majority are 14000 teu but there are about 30 vessels of about 20000 teu in service and this will increase over the next two years. Twelve months ago the cost of moving a container from Southampton or Felixstowe to Manchester was often more expensive than the seafreight moving the same container from China to the UK Port, but today rates have improved as a 20ft will probably cost about USD1000.00 to ship port to port. Unfortunately, I have no data for the cost by rail, but would expect it to be in the region of at several times more. Traditionally import volumes exceed export volumes by up to three to one, so it's going to be a challenging prospect to the fill the train eastbound at an economical level, given that eastbound seafreight rates are even lower than westbound rates.

 

[Ploughman]

How do they redistribute the surplus containers?
Is there a back working of empty containers by ship?

 

[najaB]

How do they redistribute the surplus containers?
Is there a back working of empty containers by ship?

I was going to make a joke about putting wheels on them and using them as pacer replacements, but someone might take it seriously...

 

[HSTEd]

How do they redistribute the surplus containers?
Is there a back working of empty containers by ship?

To a large extent, they don't bother.
There are huge piles of empty containers building up in the west as it is cheaper to make another in China than haul them back empty.