05.06.14
First train runs on new North Doncaster Chord
GB Railfreight has become the first operating company to use the newly-constructed £45m North Doncaster Chord, which was recently completed by Network Rail.
Locomotive 66751 was the first loco over the new chord, which is a 3.2km twin track railway between the Skellow line and Askern Line, allowing freight trains to travel up and over the East Coast Main Line (ECML), rather than have to connect to the high-speed rail link.
According to Network Rail, the new chord removes a major pinch point on the ECML, improving the reliability of passenger services. It also improves the speed and frequency of freight trains travelling between Humber ports and the Aire Valley power stations.
John Smith, managing director of GB Railfreight, said: “We are delighted to be the first rail freight operator to run on this important new North Doncaster Chord.
“It’s a great example of a new government infrastructure project that brings benefits to both the freight and passenger industries, improving capacity on the ECML as well as Trans Pennine links between ports and power stations in the region.”
GB Railfreight’s Loco 66751 ran on the railway flyover on Sunday 1 June 2014, at 11:30am. Back in March 2014, the company ran the first test train on the Ipswich Chord, a similar government project intended to free up capacity on the network.
(From L-to-R: Mark Rowley, train manager, GB Railfreight; Stuart Comer, regional risk manager, GB Railfreight; and Ian Hewitt, signalling shift manager, Network Rail)
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