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Fastest possible time for freight train, London to NE

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FinnShaw

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Hi -

I'm posting as a greenhorn about railways, and figured this forum was the place to go, to find the expertise and knowledge.

Does anybody know how fast a freight train, transporting cars, could travel from London to the Tyne Yard freight depot?

Also, could anybody tell me whether the train would travel both during the day and at night? And would it be required to lay over for hours at any point?

My reason for asking is that I'm writing a novel in which a character freight hops between London and the NE.

Thanks for your help,

Finn
 
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najaB

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Does anybody know how fast a freight train, transporting cars, could travel from London to the Tyne Yard freight depot?
75mph. Oh, wait I guess you mean how long it would take. :p

I am not an expert by any definition, but I had quick look to see if I could find an existing path in Realtime Trains. I didn't see one, but put two existing paths together and you can get from London Gateway to Doncaster leaving at 0346, arriving 0915. And then pick up a path from Doncaster at 1130, arriving Tyne Coal Terminal at 1541.
Also, could anybody tell me whether the train would travel both during the day and at night? And would it be required to lay over for hours at any point?
Looks like it is easily doable mostly in daylight hours with only a couple of hours at Doncaster.
 

FinnShaw

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Hi Naja - That is really helpful, thank you. The timings are much faster than I had thought, and that's great for me! I had understood that London Gateway is in Kent. So you wouldn't happen to know the route through London that a freight train could take leaving from London Gateway? Finn
 

swt_passenger

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Hi Naja - That is really helpful, thank you. The timings are much faster than I had thought, and that's great for me! I had understood that London Gateway is in Kent. So you wouldn't happen to know the route through London that a freight train could take leaving from London Gateway? Finn

London Gateway is on the Essex side, it's built on the old Shellhaven refinery site.
The web site mentioned earlier, www.realtimetrains.co.uk can show you the detailed passing points of a suitable service using its advanced setting:

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/H65127/2016/03/30/advanced

The station locations are all shown with the three letter codes in brackets, you can see that the route joins the ECML at Finsbury Park having come up through Barking and Stratford etc.

Hope this helps.
 
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Harlesden

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I am almost as much a greenhorn as the OP describes himself but I am wondering why the service EM2 links to cannot depart London Gateway earlier, say 02:00 which would allow it a clear run down the ECML avoiding both the Hertford Loop and the excrutiatingly long diversionary route via Spalding, Sleaford, Lincoln and Pyewipe Jc. With the earlier departure, it would be clear of Peterborough by 05:00 and so well clear of Doncaster before the first NB VTEC (05:50 from King's Cross) is anywhere near due.
 

DarloRich

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I am almost as much a greenhorn as the OP describes himself but I am wondering why the service EM2 links to cannot depart London Gateway earlier, say 02:00 which would allow it a clear run down the ECML avoiding both the Hertford Loop and the excrutiatingly long diversionary route via Spalding, Sleaford, Lincoln and Pyewipe Jc. With the earlier departure, it would be clear of Peterborough by 05:00 and so well clear of Doncaster before the first NB VTEC (05:50 from King's Cross) is anywhere near due.

Engineering blocks on the main line?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Hi -

I'm posting as a greenhorn about railways, and figured this forum was the place to go, to find the expertise and knowledge.

Does anybody know how fast a freight train, transporting cars, could travel from London to the Tyne Yard freight depot?

Also, could anybody tell me whether the train would travel both during the day and at night? And would it be required to lay over for hours at any point?

My reason for asking is that I'm writing a novel in which a character freight hops between London and the NE.

Thanks for your help,

Finn

it would depend on a lot of factors including driver hours, path availability, route, loading/unloading schedules if form a port, signal box opening etc.

I think in principle the ideas suggested are fine, I think in practice it would take somewhat longer than suggested
 

Bald Rick

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I am almost as much a greenhorn as the OP describes himself but I am wondering why the service EM2 links to cannot depart London Gateway earlier, say 02:00 which would allow it a clear run down the ECML avoiding both the Hertford Loop and the excrutiatingly long diversionary route via Spalding, Sleaford, Lincoln and Pyewipe Jc. With the earlier departure, it would be clear of Peterborough by 05:00 and so well clear of Doncaster before the first NB VTEC (05:50 from King's Cross) is anywhere near due.

Engineering blocks, and that the ECML is not cleared for larger containers between Bounds Green and Stevenage, hence use of the Hertford loop.
 
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