Freight Flows Through Manchester Terminals
 

Anyone know what these flows are these days and how many actually run?

I know Victoria used to be pretty intensive and I know the 'Binliners' run every day, and am pretty sure there must still be traffic from Buxton to Hope St Stone Terminal (as NR have put in a new track at Salford Central) I believe the Castleton Rail depot has been winded down, but does Victoria see any other cross-city freights?

The only traffic I'm aware runs through Piccadilly is freightliners from Trafford Park through platforms 13/14. I imagine anything else will be fighting for paths!

*can a friendly mod please shift this to the Freight discussion, apologies*

There we go, that's that done for you. But I'm afraid I don't know the answer to your question.

I don't know about these things in detail, but since my office overlooks the viaduct approaching Piccadilly (in Ardwick) I can tell you that EWS and Freightliner run freight through every day - mostly 66's but EWS also run Class 92's on an almost daily basis. On an average day I'll see about 4 Class 66's, two in either direction (usually the same trains) and perhaps a Class 92.

I dunno if that is of any help to you. :p

Not sure of the frequency but I think the EWS steel traffic from Healey Mills to Mostyn Docks and the coal traffic from Healey Mills to Penyffordd is routed via Victoria.

There used to be oil tankers between Stanlow & Immingham - do these still run? I've a pic at home of them running via the now closed Red Bank Loop. I think there was some other traffic recently from a Logistics Factory at Ordsall Lane which had its own rail connection.

No unfortunately this service ceased about 4 years ago. Shell Stanlow no longer use rail.

Don't think they use the facilities anymore, it is very overgrown, although there is an 07 on site which seems to shift about.

I think there is a Hope (?)-Weaste cement train during the week, usually turns at Eccles around 4pm.

And today and any day where the WCML is shut between Crewe/Wigan/Preston there are the diverted freights, including the LessCo train.

I might be wrong, but I'm not sure if freight is now banned from the Bolton line because of the sheer volume of passenger movements (specially in the area of Salford Crescent). A far cry from the days when the succession of parcel vans for Red Bank Carriage Sidings used to ply the route to places like Bolton, Preston, Barrow & Glasgow.

As I have said in your post about Red Bank yes many flows through Bolton, and whilst you quote the postal vans from Barrow, these were in actual fact from Workington, but worked by Barrow men including myself.

I've got a pic at home of converted ex-BedPan DMU on a parcels train at Barrow in around 1986.