Local politician and elected representative Grahame Morris MP has highlighted the potential for expanding rail freight traffic on the branch line into the Port of Seaham, on the English east coast. Following a visit to the port last week with representatives from the Rail Freight Group and port management, he called for greater use of rail to boost the local economy and reduce road congestion.
The Port of Seaham currently handles regular cement deliveries by rail, connecting via a 400-meter siding to the Durham Coast Line. Morris said rail freight remains an underused asset that could unlock significant environmental and economic benefits for the UK and beyond.
Port visit reveals local economic importance
Last week’s visit gave Morris a chance to see the port’s busy operations firsthand. Accompanied by Tom Pattison from the port, and Huw Merriman and Martin Bignell from the Rail Freight Group (the latter two pictured), Morris praised the facility’s efficiency and local impact.
“The port employs over 90 people locally and plays a crucial role in our regional economy,” Morris said. “It was a valuable opportunity to see the impressive operations happening right here in my constituency — from importing and exporting to storage and logistics.”
Existing rail link offers a foundation for growth
The Port of Seaham is connected by rail via a dedicated siding to the Durham Coast Line, a key freight artery on England’s northeast coast. The siding was, at one time a loop which continued southwards, but now terminates at a modern industrial complex. The adjacent passenger line is mainly served by local trains, but operator Grand Central is to begin long-distance services to London from December. Further reporting on our sister service, RailTech.com.
Current traffic at the port is almost exclusively cement shipments. These are delivered from the Lafarge (formerly Blue Circle) works at Oxwellmains near Dunbar in Scotland (25 miles (40km) east of Edinburgh. The bulk of the journey, around 100 miles (160km) is routed via the East Coast Main Line. The Victoria Group, which owns and operates the port, handles approximately 300,000 tonnes of freight annually across its operations, including Seaham. The twice-weekly cement trains are operated by Colas Rail.
Calls for better rail freight support – and wagonload?
Morris urged government and industry to better support rail freight infrastructure and services. “Rail freight is an underused asset,” he said. “There’s huge potential here, and I’ll continue working to ensure rail freight is better supported and utilised.” Using facilities like Seaham for more varied rail freight opportunities is a matter of some debate in the UK. At the same time, the future of short formations and wagonload is coming under pressure on the Continent. In Germany, there are potential moves in the opposite direction. RailFreight.com will be looking at the UK angle in greater detail in the next Friday Freight Path opinion column (15 August).
Joining Morris on the visit were two leading rail freight figures. Huw Merriman, former Minister of State for Rail and HS2 and now Chair of the Liverpool-Manchester Railway Partnership Board. Merriman has also recently become a paid consultant to the Rail Freight Group. Martin Bignell, the Rail Freight Group’s Scottish and Northern Representative since 2021, was also present. Both advocated for expanding rail freight capacity and highlighted its strategic importance for the UK’s sustainable transport goals, and Seaham seems a good place to start.