Scunthorpe has become ground zero and a rail freight hero. Eighty trains roll from Immingham while rails flow for Long Marston. The newly nationalised steel works in Lincolnshire is being served by up to eighty trains a week from the nearby Immingham Bulk Terminal, and that’s helping with a supply contract that supports domestic industry.
Rail freight operator DB Cargo UK is supporting operations at the revived British Steel Scunthorpe. The operator says they are moving up to eighty trains a week, delivering iron ore and coal to the site. The supplies are vital to keep the only remaining blast furnaces in the UK running. In addition, British Steel is working on a key order for its long products – better known as rails – for the Long Marston railway innovation centre in the English Midlands.
Immingham running full blast too
Since the UK government took control of the Scunthorpe steel works, the fortunes of the site have been revived. The previous Chinese ownership had threatened the site with closure, but a last minute intervention brought the works under public ownership. Railfreight.com has been following developments, which have also seen a ramping up of operations for contractors and suppliers. Among them is DB Cargo, which has been tasked with moving supplies from the purpose-built bulk terminal at the port of Immingham.
The twenty-mile (32km) rail route between Immingham and Scunthorpe has seen plenty of activity lately. It’s been “all go” in the few weeks since the last remaining blast furnace steel works in Britain became a national asset under domestic management. The previous Chinese owners, the Jingye corporation, who confusingly also traded as British Steel, had threatened to close the plant. That would have left the UK without any capacity to manufacture virgin steel, also known as bright steel.
Eighty movements a week
Fortunes have changed, and a rapid turnaround in management attitude has seen rail freight playing a much more critical role in the revival. An intensive logistics effort is underway to support the future of the strategically important national asset. DB Cargo UK has ramped up operations in response. Currently, they are running up to 80 train movements a week between the Port of Immingham and British Steel’s Scunthorpe plant.
The rail-based supply chain is now vital in delivering the raw materials needed to keep British Steel’s pair of blast furnaces operational. These shipments ensure the continued production of virgin steel in the UK. Rail freight is playing a tangible part in safeguarding jobs for the plant’s workforce of around 3,000 people.
Immingham jumps up the rail freight league
For DB Cargo UK, the frequency of services between Immingham Bulk Terminal and Scunthorpe Steel Works represents one of the highest levels of activity currently seen on Britain’s rail freight network. The intensive merry-go-round is reminiscent of the 1980s. That’s the last time that the British rail network was criss-crossed by similar bulk workings – typically coal movements from collieries to power stations. Among the only comparable movements today are the biomass shipments to Drax power station. Immingham is also a port that serves that flow, and currently the bulk terminal is one of the busiest rail freight locations in the UK.
This operational focus on rail is helping to ease pressure on local roads, reduce emissions, and maximise the use of existing rail infrastructure. British Steel has confirmed that sufficient supplies of essential raw materials have now been secured. This allows the UK Government to shift focus toward securing long-term private investment for the company. Discussions with potential partners are ongoing, with rail freight operators expected to play a key role in the future distribution of finished steel products to both domestic and export markets.
Hot news for hot rails
All this would be for nothing if British Steel did not secure future orders for finished products. So, in a further sign of confidence, British Steel has announced work is underway on an order to supply 350 tonnes of rail for a major upgrade at the Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre in Warwickshire. The steel will be used in the redevelopment of the railway test loop, a critical facility for trialling next-generation rail technologies, including multi-fuelled rolling stock.
The project, led by Porterbrook and delivered by principal contractor, Trackwork, will involve the design, supply and installation of over 11km of track, including sidings and revised road layouts. Once complete, the site will also be equipped to support testing with European Train Control System (ETCS) cab signalling. Scunthorpe is the only domestic supplier of rails to the UK network. However, other rail freight operators are available.