South Yorkshire Joint Line - what future?

[lyndhurst25]

Looking at realtraintimes.co.uk ut seems that traffic on the Doncaster to Worksop SYJt line has fallen off a cliff in recent times. It's now down to a couple of trains per day, whereas not too long ago it was operating close to capacity. Maltby Colliery, the last source of freight on the line, has closed. Cottam and West Burton power stations are on borrowed time. The only possible source of new traffic is the rail-connected "Doncaster Inland Port" being built at Rossington. How much traffic this generates, and whether it will goes via Worksop, remains to be seen. I fear for the line's future once the power stations close in a few year's time, which is a pity as it is a unique and interesting line. Enjoy it while you can. Preservation bid anyone???

 

[eastwestdivide]

Yes, I've been wondering about its future too.
If anyone wants to check what traffic is running, the place to put into Realtimetrains etc is "Maltby Colliery S B".
There's a small amount of additional traffic that goes from the Doncaster area to St Catherine's Junction and reverses, in order (I guess) to cross the ECML without conflicting with the main line. (search for "St.Catherines Jn." on RTT).

Pretty sure that the connection to the Doncaster inland port "iPort" is off the ECML down side, rather than the SY line, so would that generate much traffic for the line? Likely to be containers from Felixstowe, so exit via the GN/GE through Lincoln or the ECML at less busy times is likely to be the route for that.

Can't see it being preserved though, if it does close.

 

[class 9]

If you look on the iportuk.com website, it says the railfreight terminal will connect onto the South Yorks line.

 

[eastwestdivide]

If you look on the iportuk.com website, it says the railfreight terminal will connect onto the South Yorks line.

Wow, so it does - thanks.
At http://iportuk.com/transport/rail/

iPort has a direct connection to the South Yorkshire Joint Line and can accept euro gauge container traffic. The national rail network provides links to all of the UK’s major ports and strategic rail freight terminals

And the connection is also shown on the plan (PDF) available at:
http://iportuk.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/iPORT_Plan_Schedule_FEB17.pdf

The connection for a train leaving iPort is in the Doncaster direction rather than the Maltby direction, so you wonder if there will be any additional traffic for the rest of the SY line.

Has the connection been built yet? Must get out there and have a little exploration. Edit - the drone footage at http://iportuk.com/gallery/ suggests not (around the 1min mark of the March 2017 video) - what do you think?

 

[Dr Hoo]

At the Multimodal exhibition at the NEC last week a 'spokesman' for the local enterprise partnership (or similar) was saying that the iPort connection was going in "in September" (having apparently been delayed from this month).

 

[Goldie]

Wow, so it does - thanks.
At http://iportuk.com/transport/rail/


And the connection is also shown on the plan (PDF) available at:
http://iportuk.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/iPORT_Plan_Schedule_FEB17.pdf

The connection for a train leaving iPort is in the Doncaster direction rather than the Maltby direction, so you wonder if there will be any additional traffic for the rest of the SY line.

It seems short sighted for the junction to not allow trains to exit towards Maltby.

 

[Dr Hoo]

How many miles/bridges of gauge clearance would that take to be of any practical use, I wonder...?

 

[eastwestdivide]

The iPort now reported as open for business:
http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/...iew/doncaster-rail-freight-hub-completed.html

The iPort Rail intermodal freight terminal in Doncaster is now operational, industrial and logistics property developer Verdion announced after the first test train ran onto the site on February 20

See also "Doncaster Europort" in Realtimetrains etc. for paths to Warrington Arpley.


Edit 1st March: Sorry "Europort" is wrong. It appears in RTT as "Doncaster Iport" or "Doncaster Iport Gbrf"

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

There's an article about the Doncaster iPort Rail terminal in the current issue of Rail (#847).

 

[lyndhurst25]

All the trains to/from the Doncaster iPort seem to be routed via the GN & GE Joint Line or the ECML. None go via the South Yorkshire Joint Line to Worksop.

Coal traffic to Cottam and West Burton power stations via the SY Joint Line seems to have picked up recently. Presumably this is a winter thing. You still have to wonder if the line will be kept open once the coal-fired power stations close in a few years' time.