Newhaven Sidings

[cphilb]

Looking at the proximity of the railhead to the ferry terminal on this picture, (the blue posts on the picture are where the ferry docks), I am surprised that the port hasn't installed a crane here to detrain unaccompanied containers from the train to be loaded on to the ferry. Was this ever considered - and if so, what were the reasons it was discounted?

 

[zwk500]

Looking at the proximity of the railhead to the ferry terminal on this picture, (the blue posts on the picture are where the ferry docks), I am surprised that the port hasn't installed a crane here to detrain unaccompanied containers from the train to be loaded on to the ferry. Was this ever considered - and if so, what were the reasons it was discounted?

1. Newhaven Port isn't able to handle a big enough ship to make it economic
2. The line from Earlswood just South of Redhill to Newhaven isn't big enough for containers. It's only W6a gauge, and containers need W8 (with well wagons) or W10.

Point 1. is complicated to resolve because Newhaven's road access is limited, and not every container is going to go by train so it's not economic to invest in a container berth without a much wider regional road & rail upgrade. Newhaven also isn't in a great position for distributing goods nationally, or even up to London.
Point 2. is straightforward as a concept to solve, but would be astronomically expensive (as in would cost as much as a moon mission) and phenomenally disruptive to the Core London-Brighton line.

 

[swt_passenger]

Looking at the proximity of the railhead to the ferry terminal on this picture, (the blue posts on the picture are where the ferry docks), I am surprised that the port hasn't installed a crane here to detrain unaccompanied containers from the train to be loaded on to the ferry. Was this ever considered - and if so, what were the reasons it was discounted?

The type of ship used for Ro-Ro traffic to/from the ferry terminal cannot cope with craned containers.

 

[zwk500]

The type of ship used for Ro-Ro traffic to/from the ferry terminal cannot cope with craned containers.

Also the only ship to use Newhaven only goes to Dieppe. It'll be faster and cheaper to move a container from wherever in England your sending it to wherever in France it would have gone to via Dollands Moor and Frethun. If you're sending it anywhere other than France/northern Europe, you'd load the container at Felixstowe or Southampton as you'll get a much cheaper price on the boat if you're one of 10,000 than if you're one of 10.

 

[cphilb]

Thanks for all your replies - I knew there would be good reasons