Is CAF Newport (Llanwern) the Only Train Factory by the Railway that Sends Trains Out by Road?

[Envoy]

Is the CAF factory at Newport (Llanwern) the only train factory that sends the finished trains out by road - even though the railway is alongside? Is this likely to continue?

 

[Western 52]

I think they found a gas main in the way of a direct connection? Seems crazy though.

 

[Russel]

I think they found a gas main in the way of a direct connection? Seems crazy though.

Surprising how many undocumented or forgotten gas mains there are dotted around...

One of my former employers started building a new access gate for HGV's, then had to stop as they found a gas main, that of course resulted in 12 months of arguing about who was to pay to move it.

 

[Dai Corner]

This aerial photo from https://www.railengineer.co.uk/rolling-stock-made-in-newport-wales/?amp=1 shows how tantalisingly close to Tata Steel's siding (which gives access to the South Wales Main Line) the CAF sidings get.

 

[Western 52]

That is frustratingly close!

 

[Meerkat]

Hope this isn’t too stupid question but is building a ground level ‘bridge‘ over the gas main really that expensive?

 

[Western 52]

Hope this isn’t too stupid question but is building a ground level ‘bridge‘ over the gas main really that expensive?

I wondered that too. Cost of a bridge compared to the cost of trucking all the new dmu cars out.

 

[DelW]

I wondered that too. Cost of a bridge compared to the cost of trucking all the new dmu cars out.

Quite often rail vehicles are moved by road even when their origin and destination are rail-connected. The usual explanation is that one-off moves are cheaper by truck than by rail if that means arranging single move paths, checking clearances and gauging, finding (combinations of) drivers with the necessary route and traction knowledge, moving barrier wagons to the start of and back from the end of the move, etc.

So there might not be any savings to offset the cost of the infrastructure works.

 

[Envoy]

Quite often rail vehicles are moved by road even when their origin and destination are rail-connected. The usual explanation is that one-off moves are cheaper by truck than by rail if that means arranging single move paths, checking clearances and gauging, finding (combinations of) drivers with the necessary route and traction knowledge, moving barrier wagons to the start of and back from the end of the move, etc.

So there might not be any savings to offset the cost of the infrastructure works.

This factory has already produced loads of trains and now has an order for express trains for LNER. I really do wonder whether or not they can figure out a way of getting the site connected to the lines alongside in order to export the trains?

How far are they taking the finished trains on lorries?

Surely, anything manufactured for Britain's rail network must be of size that fits tunnels/bridges?

I bet this daft situation does not exist in other countries?

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

This factory has already produced loads of trains and now has an order for express trains for LNER. I really do wonder whether or not they can figure out a way of getting the site connected to the lines alongside in order to export the trains?
How far are they taking the finished trains on lorries?

CAF have sent their Newport production by road to rail-served freight terminals at Donnington (Telford) and Castle Donington (Derby).
This is before they are commissioned and taken on by customer TOCs (TfW and WMT).
Most of the components for CAF trains come to Newport from Spain or elsewhere in Europe.

Going back a bit, it's quite normal for bodyshells and even complete vehicles to be delivered by road.
Back in the day Eurostar class 373 vehicles came by road/ferry from several sites in France to Washwood Heath for final assembly and delivery by rail.

 

[twpsaesneg]

Nothing is impossible if enough money is thrown at it. Ultimately though its down to whether the price of diverting or bridging the gas main costs more than the cost of shipping out by road. I'd guess that it does or CAF would have paid for it.

 

[Dai Corner]

I'd hazard a guess that hiring three lorries and drivers is cheaper than one loco and driver. It wasn't they'd surely be transferring to rail close to the assembly plant.

 

[Envoy]

CAF have sent their Newport production by road to rail-served freight terminals at Donnington (Telford) and Castle Donington (Derby).
This is before they are commissioned and taken on by customer TOCs (TfW and WMT).
Most of the components for CAF trains come to Newport from Spain or elsewhere in Europe.

Do the body shells come into Newport Docks from Spain?

Telford & Derby are miles aways from Newport. If they have to go to a rail served freight terminal, what’s wrong with Wentloog on the eastern edge of Cardiff?

I'd hazard a guess that hiring three lorries and drivers is cheaper than one loco and driver. It wasn't they'd surely be transferring to rail close to the assembly plant.

Doesn't say much for the competitiveness of the railway if the cost is too great to even transport their own vehicles!

 

[twpsaesneg]

Telford & Derby are miles aways from Newport. If they have to go to a rail served freight terminal, what’s wrong with Wentloog on the eastern edge of Cardiff?

Wentloog is well used and has limited / no spare space. Both Telford and East Mids have limited (none?) usage and plenty of space to sort out any commissioning needed.

Doesn't say much for the competitiveness of the railway if the cost is too great to even transport their own vehicles!

Rail transport is not competitive for short / ad-hoc freight flows - it's why British Rail closed down Speedlink 30 years ago. This isn't going to change.

 

[zwk500]

Surely, anything manufactured for Britain's rail network must be of size that fits tunnels/bridges?

Given the variations in the British Rail Network's structure and loading gauges and the variety of static and dynamic clearance profiles for all stock I'd be surprised if there was any stock that didn't have some sort of restriction somewhere or other.
You only have to look at the Sectional Appendix Table D to see the scale of the variations in rolling stock classes.

 

[fishwomp]

I'd hazard a guess that hiring three lorries and drivers is cheaper than one loco and driver. It wasn't they'd surely be transferring to rail close to the assembly plant.

Probably - but I think you just found the solution: batch up in 9-car formations.. surely the railway has an edge then.

 

[DelW]

Probably - but I think you just found the solution: batch up in 9-car formations.. surely the railway has an edge then.

But how frequently could CAF complete a 9-car batch? You'd probably only be looking at one or two moves a month. It would be very hard to justify the cost of constructing the rail connection for that level of usage.

 

[JKF]

Quite a bit of the stuff arriving from Spain at Portbury has gone out by road despite the rail connection, including 93001 & 93002 - I guess some new stuff is ‘untested’ in terms of loading gauge/dynamic envelope so has to be tested before clearance can be determined.

 

[Western 52]

Years ago, vehicles built at BR and private workshops just came straight out by rail didn't they? Why is it so different these days?

 

[DelW]

Years ago, vehicles built at BR and private workshops just came straight out by rail didn't they? Why is it so different these days?

A couple of possible factors:

I suspect that costs weren't allocated in nearly as much detail, so the cost of individual moves wouldn't have been evident.

There weren't specialist road hauliers like Alleleys.

 

[furnessvale]

Years ago, vehicles built at BR and private workshops just came straight out by rail didn't they? Why is it so different these days?

Years ago we had C1 and C3 passenger stock. Stock was built to one of these gauges.

Now every new batch of stock seems to be built for the route it is intended to run on.

 

[Taunton]

I bet this daft situation does not exist in other countries?

Notably when the Voyagers were built by Bombardier in Bruges, Belgium, they just took the first one out for a quick roll along SNCB to Ghent and back. No fuss.

There weren't specialist road hauliers like Alleleys.

Always used Pickfords.

 

[AM9]

I bet this daft situation does not exist in other countries?

As far as delivering UK gauge stock goes probably not given that all UK passenger rolling stock (except Eurostar 374s) can be accommodated in the smallest UIC gauge (with ease including below floor levels). That must make clearing formalities for haulage of buffered unbraked loads very simple.

 

[fishwomp]

Now every new batch of stock seems to be built for the route it is intended to run on.

You'd think that would be a big issue for the ROSCOs - why build something with only one customer, that would surely end badly - so you set a price to cover the risk

However, the government underwrites/guarantees work (I don't recall the name but it's something like a 'section 74' for quite a lot of rolling stock. They could fix this at source..