Varamis Rail Given Operators Licence from ORR

[IndianPacific]

Railway terminal is being planned at Hinckley.

Thanks, gave this a google, looks like a little Eurocentral. But it also looks a few years away, so maybe not that useful for a firm that needs contracts / cashflow now.

I'm still nervous this is a railway persons dream.

In EuroCentral the GXO / Argos unit was built with a rail connection along the back of the warehouse which would have been a great way to get a retailer on to this type of service, I don't think it was ever really used and it has now been partially concreted over (maybe the 'wrong' tenant took it, but the parcel depots in / near Eurocentral aren't as big as that GXO unit so I'm not sure what they were really aiming for with it - but that's drifting off topic).

The whole Eurocentral / Euroterminal name came from a desire to get Scotland / Europe freight running through the tunnel but it's basically turned in to a domestic intermodal facility.

With things like the Tesco train or the Highland Spring service, the customers aren't that sensitive to journey time, it's more about having a reliable arrival time so the just in time retail machine keeps ticking over. Parcels have pressure from every angle, in that retailers want to be able to take orders as late as possible and still deliver next day. The parcel companies want to touch it as few times as possible before delivery because they're fighting Evri (who charge / pay peanuts) in a race to the bottom. It's a different challenge and one I'm not sure the railway supports that well.

But anyway, maybe this is just me being pessimistic, more freight on rail is a good thing, so lets hope this works!

 

[Mollman]

Thanks, gave this a google, looks like a little Eurocentral. But it also looks a few years away, so maybe not that useful for a firm that needs contracts / cashflow now.

I'm still nervous this is a railway persons dream.

In EuroCentral the GXO / Argos unit was built with a rail connection along the back of the warehouse which would have been a great way to get a retailer on to this type of service, I don't think it was ever really used and it has now been partially concreted over (maybe the 'wrong' tenant took it, but the parcel depots in / near Eurocentral aren't as big as that GXO unit so I'm not sure what they were really aiming for with it - but that's drifting off topic).

The whole Eurocentral / Euroterminal name came from a desire to get Scotland / Europe freight running through the tunnel but it's basically turned in to a domestic intermodal facility.

With things like the Tesco train or the Highland Spring service, the customers aren't that sensitive to journey time, it's more about having a reliable arrival time so the just in time retail machine keeps ticking over. Parcels have pressure from every angle, in that retailers want to be able to take orders as late as possible and still deliver next day. The parcel companies want to touch it as few times as possible before delivery because they're fighting Evri (who charge / pay peanuts) in a race to the bottom. It's a different challenge and one I'm not sure the railway supports that well.

But anyway, maybe this is just me being pessimistic, more freight on rail is a good thing, so lets hope this works!

Don't forget that each truck will require a driver, so sending by rail will save the expense of two or three drivers travelling up and down the M6/M74 (and the need to find those drivers)

 

[1Q18]

Don't forget that each truck will require a driver, so sending by rail will save the expense of two or three drivers travelling up and down the M6/M74 (and the need to find those drivers)

Truck drivers are cheap, though.

 

[The Planner]

Truck drivers are cheap, though.

If that is the case, why does railfreight exist at all?

 

[HSTEd]

Truck drivers are cheap, though.

They really aren't though, they are increasingly expensive and there is a crippling shortage of them.

Especially for long-haul operations, it's not really an attractive life after all.

 

[The Ham]

They really aren't though, they are increasingly expensive and there is a crippling shortage of them.

Especially for long-haul operations, it's not really an attractive life after all.

Indeed, 5 years ago may have been different, however it's not the case now - although that's in part due to about half a million fewer economically active people in the working aged population impacting every industry (except perhaps the NHS who magical don't have the same issues, so falling wages isn't going to lead to falling staff numbers - a well known fact...)

 

[Islineclear3_1]

Good news in principle

If Varimis Rail intends using 321.334 and converting further units, I dread to think what state the stored 321's are in (at Wolverton/Gasgoigne Woods)

 

[dan4291]

The environmental aspects of Varamis's venture haven't had much of a mention, but it's definitely one of their main selling points, and is nothing new. There's always been a push to move as much freight to rail as is viable, and usually one of the selling points is a freight flow removing X amount of trucks off the roads. Nowadays with the push to decarbonise pretty much everything I reckon if they can get the economics right then Varamis are onto a winner.

 

[zwk500]

The environmental aspects of Varamis's venture haven't had much of a mention, but it's definitely one of their main selling points, and is nothing new. There's always been a push to move as much freight to rail as is viable, and usually one of the selling points is a freight flow removing X amount of trucks off the roads. Nowadays with the push to decarbonise pretty much everything I reckon if they can get the economics right then Varamis are onto a winner.

From the railway industry maybe, but certainly not from the logistics industry or central government.

 

[dk1]

They really aren't though, they are increasingly expensive and there is a crippling shortage of them.

Especially for long-haul operations, it's not really an attractive life after all.

Good to hear.

 

[AlastairFraser]

Truck drivers are cheap, though.

My work is hiring qualified HGV drivers at 55k a year - if that is considered cheap now. Train drivers earn a lot, but rail schedules on the main line are a lot faster, so they'll get more trips out of 1 or 2 drivers' shifts.
I wish Varamis well.

 

[the sniper]

My work is hiring qualified HGV drivers at 55k a year

What! I'm heading over to the TruckUKforum to give them a piece of my mind... They only have to pull one wagon!

 

[AlastairFraser]

What! I'm heading over to the TruckUKforum to give them a piece of my mind... They only have to pull one wagon!

If you saw the state of our fleet, you'd understand.

 

[dk1]

Looks like it’s about to get busier. Varamis tweeting that with increased traffic flows about to start, the early terminal departures (72 minutes yesterday) will come to an end.

 

[Dumpton Park]

Has anyone seen this in operation at BI? How does the loading and unloading work? Presumably BI has some legacy infrastructure in place to get lots of parcels/trolleys on and off the platforms? Can't recall seeing it on past fleeting visits.

And isn't this very similar model to the planned Orion service from ROG. What happened to that?

DP

 

[The Planner]

Has anyone seen this in operation at BI? How does the loading and unloading work? Presumably BI has some legacy infrastructure in place to get lots of parcels/trolleys on and off the platforms? Can't recall seeing it on past fleeting visits.

And isn't this very similar model to the planned Orion service from ROG. What happened to that?

DP

The old Red Star depot on Platform 1.

 

[Carlisle]

And isn't this very similar model to the planned Orion service from ROG. What happened to that?

DP

Indeed, no obvious official information as to wether they’re going ahead at some point or have withdrawn entirely.

 

[Dumpton Park]

The old Red Star depot on Platform 1.

Thanks. Don't think I've ever been on Platform 1!

Curious that heading North the train seems to have to sit in a loop for 30 mins in the middle of the night.

I wonder how many other dormant Parcels/Red Star-type facilities are left that could be reactivated. Preston has one, I think. Redhill probably still has the old mail platform in place if not still connected.

DP

 

[pdeaves]

Curious that heading North the train seems to have to sit in a loop for 30 mins in the middle of the night.

It's possible that this is to keep the next section of line clear for engineering access up to a certain time.

 

[Adrian1980uk]

Wonder how loaded the trains have been, I guess we need to wait a month or 2 for it to settle down and see how full it gets

 

[Trainfan2019]

Ah so this is the odd train I keep seeing on real time trains in the early hours. It doesn't seem to be classed as normal freight with the ZZ code but is included with passenger trains when filter applied.

According to real time trains, on 28th January, the varamis train from Birmingham was due to stop at Crewe platform D. Was this incorrect data as I've never heard of platform D? Screenshot attached.

 

[Bill57p9]

Ah so this is the odd train I keep seeing on real time trains in the early hours. It doesn't seem to be classed as normal freight with the ZZ code but is included with passenger trains when filter applied.

According to real time trains, on 28th January, the varamis train from Birmingham was due to stop at Crewe platform D. Was this incorrect data as I've never heard of platform D? Screenshot attached.View attachment 128069

Mail & parcel trains run with class 1 headcodes these days which is probably why RTT considers them a "passenger" service.

I am reasonably confident that platform D is a shortening of DF(L) = Down fast (line): Looking at the detail it was ran on the DF before and after Crewe, plus the record departure is before arrival suggesting that it didn't actually stop.

 

[dk1]

Wonder how loaded the trains have been, I guess we need to wait a month or 2 for it to settle down and see how full it gets

Apparently with the imminent uplift in traffic there will be an end of the service departing very early as has been the case since its launch.

 

[zwk500]

Mail & parcel trains run with class 1 headcodes these days which is probably why RTT considers them a "passenger" service.

I am reasonably confident that platform D is a shortening of DF(L) = Down fast (line): Looking at the detail it was ran on the DF before and after Crewe, plus the record departure is before arrival suggesting that it didn't actually stop.

Correct on both points.

 

[172007]

Apparently with the imminent uplift in traffic there will be an end of the service departing very early as has been the case since its launch.



Cancelled again tonight.

 

[dk1]

Oh dear. What’s gone wrong?

 

[racyrich]

Varamis were rather vexed the other day:

Service 018 ~ 01/02/23 Unfortunately, 1M04 & 1S04 were caped last night due to another train operator’s failure to observe our place in the WTT at #Birmingham, stabling a train in the only platform we can utilise, therefore denying us access to it

https://twitter.com/RailVaramis/status/1621313466538541056?s=20

 

[172007]

Thanks for the update. That was for last Thursdays which I think was terminated Carlisle. Friday 3rd didn't run and Monday 6th the one in question didn't run.



Wonder what's happening.

 

[Dr Hoo]

Varamis were rather vexed the other day:

Service 018 ~ 01/02/23 Unfortunately, 1M04 & 1S04 were caped last night due to another train operator’s failure to observe our place in the WTT at #Birmingham, stabling a train in the only platform we can utilise, therefore denying us access to it

https://twitter.com/RailVaramis/status/1621313466538541056?s=20

I wasn’t aware that trains were stabled overnight at Birmingham International (unless it was ‘stranded’ after failing or something like that). Presumably a Network Rail signalling involvement too?

 

[172007]

Platform 1 at Birmingham International has access from the road for loading unloading, the other platforms don't. Imagine a train was left their for a reason or signaller put it into the wrong platform. I am sure it won't happen again.