Why are some freight trains routed via York station?

[L&Y Robert]

I sometimes look at York station through Railcam's webcam. I have seen several freight movements lately passing through the station. Anybody know why they aren't routed via the avoiding lines?

 

[edwin_m]

I sometimes look at York station through Railcam's webcam. I have seen several freight movements lately pssing through the station. Anybody know why they aren't routed via the avoiding lines?

Southbound freight heading for the Selby Diversion often runs through one of the platforms towards the west of the station. Otherwise it has to cross the Down Main at Skelton Junction and again somewhere south of the station.

 

[55018ballymoss]

I always thought it was to do with track access charges. If the freight uses the avoiding lines, it is liable for the full charge for using those, whereas freight pays a proportion for the lines through the station with the passenger operators.

 

[Bald Rick]

Southbound freight heading for the Selby Diversion often runs through one of the platforms towards the west of the station. Otherwise it has to cross the Down Main at Skelton Junction and again somewhere south of the station.

Is the right answer

I always thought it was to do with track access charges. If the freight uses the avoiding lines, it is liable for the full charge for using those, whereas freight pays a proportion for the lines through the station with the passenger operators.

Is not the right answer. Track access charges aren’t *that* complex.

 

[Eloise]

All about whether you can get a path over Skelton Bridge, to go round the back in the Up you have to cross the lot and if running to Milford or ECML cross back again and you can only do that at Colton North ladder for the ECML. Paths are at a premium now between Colton and York so to find a suitable gap between TPE / Northern / XC on the Leeds lines takes some doing I guess. Sometimes much easier to keep them going straightest route. Only thing stopping you going via York (or the avoiders in theory) are any gauging restrictions, occasionally traffic or vehicles may be barred.

 

[Jamesrob637]

York station is one of my favourites and some freight only adds to the variety so long may it continue.

 

[55018ballymoss]

Is the right answer

Is not the right answer. Track access charges aren’t *that* complex.

Always nice to have another railway myth debunked, though the language seems quite condescending.

 

[DarloRich]

I always thought it was to do with track access charges. If the freight uses the avoiding lines, it is liable for the full charge for using those, whereas freight pays a proportion for the lines through the station with the passenger operators.

interesting idea - what do you base that on?

Surely the avoiders are only of use if you are heading towards Leeds. Otherwise you will have to cross the station approaches to reach the southbound ECML. The avoiders are useful for getting into the works mind.

 

[Bald Rick]

Is not the right answer. Track access charges aren’t *that* complex.

Always nice to have another railway myth debunked, though the language seems quite condescending.

Apologies, not intended, I’m having to be quite blunt at work these last 10 weeks, and it’s rubbing off!

 

[Merle Haggard]

I always thought it was to do with track access charges. If the freight uses the avoiding lines, it is liable for the full charge for using those, whereas freight pays a proportion for the lines through the station with the passenger operators.

It might be worth pointing out that this was the process in B.R. Sector days, just before privatisation.

It explains what happened at the time; for instance, some Regional Railways re-routings (to avoid picking up costs on the route avoided), and general re-timings (to avoid requiring S/Bs to be open just for your trains). Some did not seem to be beneficial but these changes have not been reversed - even though the charging regime is, it seems, no longer so detailed.

In the earliest days of Railtrack access charges, the tolls were Byzantine (at least in my experience of Freight ones) and may well have reflected those factors in an opaque way.

 

[LMS 4F]

If the council plans for what is called the"Teardrop" locally, basically the land between the avoiding lines and the normal route, come to fruition, Large scale housing and other buildings will the avoiders be lost?
All of course may be up in the air due to the virus.

 

[yorkie]

If the council plans for what is called the"Teardrop" locally, basically the land between the avoiding lines and the normal route, come to fruition, Large scale housing and other buildings will the avoiders be lost?

No

 

[43095john]

There has been a noticeable increase of Freight crew reliefs occuring at York Station recently.

 

[DarloRich]

If the council plans for what is called the"Teardrop" locally, basically the land between the avoiding lines and the normal route, come to fruition, Large scale housing and other buildings will the avoiders be lost?
All of course may be up in the air due to the virus.

that might make getting into the works quite difficult! Some railway land will be used. Live railway should not be impacted by the plans. If they happen. It has been 10 years plus since I lived in York and they were talking about it then!

 

[WestRiding]

And sometimes its just the Signaller sending them which way he wants to. Even though a train may be booked via the avoider or via the station, it can still be sent either way, and the driver usually wont question it.

 

[Spartacus]

As well at is being often difficult to get across at Skelton Jn, it's often difficult to find a path for one to get back, either out onto the main line, at Colton, or, less so, at Church Fenton. No point bringing a freight to a halt when it can be kept moving via the station.

Going North is a similar situation South of York, it's often difficult to find a path to get to the avoiders. Occasionally the platforms can provide a useful 'loop' as well for a few minutes.

 

[Razor1967]

No, the freight avoiders will continue, as will the access to the Network Rail works, which has been significantly improved in the last couple of years. The "old" Klondyke yards has been refettled and cleaned up for stabling the Autumn water/sandite blue tanks trains. The big empty square of wasteground you see on Google Earth/Maps in front of the traverser buildings has been fenced off and new fans of sidings laid up to the traverser. They are alo spending a lot of time repairing the roof to the original vehicle building sheds. They are also doing some improvements behind the works in the old BREL entrance (but not sure what). As someone who has lived opposite the Works since it was still building EMUS it is nice to see the regeneration of at least one bit of railway in York.

Of course the teardrop plan (if it still goes ahead !) will wipe out all the central yard (which is mostly used for storing redundant coal wagons now). Also the old wagons shops building and BREL Test house/ lately used by Freightliner on the east side will also go and the far (easterly) avoider which although electrified, I have only ever seen a 66 shunting wagons about on will go. In addition all the old unused sidings to the old CCE and Concrete depot will also go.

Still remember all this area in the early 1980s kept 4 to 5 shunters busy, now an absolute shadow of its former self, like most parts of the network today, for those old enough to remember !