Stourton Freightliner Terminal

When the Freightliner brand was introduced by British Rail (BR) in the 1960s, three of the initial 17 terminals would be in the Yorkshire region (Hull, Leeds and Sheffield).{{cite web |title=Freightliner Depots (Hansard, 25 March 1968) |url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written-answers/1968/mar/25/freightliner-depots |website=api.parliament.uk |access-date=22 February 2020}} The site was built on the former Stourton sidings,{{cite web |title=Explore georeferenced maps - Map images - National Library of Scotland |url=https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=16&lat=53.76989&lon=-1.50964&layers=168&b=1 |website=maps.nls.uk |access-date=28 October 2020| quote=Use the transparency function to compare between 1905 mapping and modern day satellite imagery.}} which were earmarked for investment as a marshalling yard under the 1955 modernisation plan, though this never came to fruition.{{cite book |title=British Railways progress May 1962 |date=May 1962 |publisher=British Transport Commission |location=London |page=40|oclc=1181298331}} After the mass closure of Freightliner terminals across the UK in 1986 and 1987, Leeds Stourton remained the only Yorkshire based terminal.{{cite book |last1=Rhodes |first1=Michael |last2=Shannon |first2=Paul |title=The freight only yearbook. |date=1990 |publisher=Silver Link |location=Lancashire |isbn=0-947971-41-6 |page=87}}{{#tag:ref|Of the original 17 terminals, one was in Stockton (then County Durham). It was deemed as being poorly sited for the Teesside industrial region and was moved to Wilton on the south bank of the River Tees in 1984. This placed it in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire (then Cleveland). It has also since moved a second time, in 2014, now being located at Teesport alongside other railfreight intermodal operations run by competitors.|name=Stockton, Wilton, Teesport.|group=note}} Stourton is also one of only five of the original 1960s batch of terminals still in operation (the others being Garston in Liverpool, Lawley Street in Birmingham, Southampton Millbrook and Trafford Park in Manchester).{{sfn|Shannon|2010|p=8}}

Opened in July 1967, the site is located on the former Stourton steam shed, and at its opening covered over {{convert|11|acre}}.{{sfn|Shannon|2010|p=10}}

Under British Rail in 1994, the prospect of Channel Tunnel traffic, led to BR developing a new intermodal terminal at Wakefield Europort,{{cite book |last1=Haywood |first1=Russell |title=Railways, urban development and town planning in Britain, 1948-2008 |date=2009 |publisher=Ashgate |location=Farnham |isbn=978-0-7546-7392-7 |page=227}} which in the post-privatisation era has been operated by Freightliner Group competitor DB Cargo UK. During this period, the terminal at Stourton was handling an average of 65,000 containers every year.{{cite journal |title=Railfreight Distribution |journal=Containerisation International |date=1993 |volume=27 |page=68 |publisher=Informa |location=London |issn=0010-7379}} Originally, British Rail wanted to develop Stourton into a single terminal for both deep-sea, domestic and Channel Tunnel traffic, so the site would be similar to that at Trafford Park in Manchester, where the two intermodal terminals are quite close. However, the upgrade at Stourton wasn't eligible for a European Economic Community grant, but the Wakefield site was.{{cite journal |last1=Nash |first1=C A |last2=Fowkes |first2=S A |last3=Hopkinson |first3=PG |last4=Preston |first4=J M |last5=Wardman |first5=M |title=A Review of Rail Research Relevant to the Case for Increased Rail Investment |journal=Institute of Transport Studies |date=1993 |issue=392 |page=10 |publisher=Institute of Transport Studies, University of Leeds |location=Leeds |issn=0142-8942}}

Throughout the 1990s and the 2000s, the typical destinations served by Leeds Stourton have been the ports at Felixstowe, Southampton and Tilbury, with feeder services to Crewe Basford Hall and Wilton, or Teesport terminals on Teesside.{{sfn|Shannon|2013|pages=32,33,53}} After the opening of London Gateway in 2014, Stourton has been one of the new services from that location.{{cite news |title=Freightliner announces London Gateway services |url=https://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/freightliner-announces-london-gateway-services.html |access-date=29 October 2020 |work=Railway Gazette International |date=26 April 2014 |language=en}} During the late 1980s, a feeder service operated between the Port of Immingham and Stourton.{{sfn|Shannon|2010|p=25}}

In 2018, the typical number of train movements to and from Stourton was 14. The projected traffic growth in intermodal containers is estimated to increase to 47 trains per day by 2043.{{cite report|last=Iggulden|first=Richard|title=Continuous Modular Strategic Planning North of England; Freight Strategic Questions|url= https://www.networkrail.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/North-of-England-Freight-Study-2018.pdf|website=networkrail.co.uk|date=2018|access-date=24 October 2020|page=56}}

The terminal can only be operated by diesel trains as no electric wires (catenary) exist on this stretch of line. The section south has been mooted in the railway press as an 'infill' electrification project;{{cite web |title=House of Commons - Transport Committee - Rail 2020: Written evidence from West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (Metro) (ROR 42) |url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmselect/cmtran/329/329vw32.htm |website=publications.parliament.uk |access-date=22 February 2020}} from Stourton terminal to Hare Park Junction (on the Doncaster to Wakefield Line), is {{convert|18|mi}}.{{cite journal |last1=Worth |first1=Julian |title=Charting an electric freight future |journal=Modern Railways |date=April 2018 |volume=75 |issue=835 |page=58 |publisher=Key Publishing |location=Stamford |issn=0026-8356}} The electrification of the line between Whitehall Junction (Leeds) and Hare Park Junction (on the Leeds to Doncaster line), appeared as a desired future project in Network Rail's Freight Network Study of 2017.{{cite web |title=Freight Network Study |url=https://www.networkrail.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Freight-Network-Study-April-2017.pdf |website=networkrail.co.uk |access-date=28 October 2020 |page=41 |date=April 2017}}

Aside from the arrival siding, the main part of the terminal consists of three through lines with gantry cranes straddling all three.{{cite book |last1=Padgett |first1=David |editor1-last=Brailsford |editor1-first=Martyn |title=Railway track diagrams, Book 2 - Eastern |date=2016 |publisher=Trackmaps |location=Frome |isbn=978-0-9549866-8-1 |edition=4|at=36A}} The site covers {{convert|14.3|acre}}, and has the capacity to store 1,150 standard containers (rated as TEU).{{cite web |title=Leeds Freightliner Terminal - Freightliner |url=https://www.gwrr.co.uk/about/locations/leeds/freightliner-leeds-terminal/ |website=G&W UK / Europe Region Companies |access-date=29 October 2020}} Stourton is located on Valley Farm Way in Stourton, a suburb of south Leeds, with road access to the M1 motorway, the M621 motorway and the A639 road.{{cite web |title=High Speed Rail (Crewe to Manchester and West Midlands to Leeds) Working Draft Environmental Statement Volume 2: Community Area report LA17: Stourton to Hunslet |url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/745197/HS2_Phase_2b_WDES_Volume_2_LA17_Stourton_to_Hunslet.pdf |website=assets.publishing.service.gov.uk |access-date=22 February 2020 |page=8 |date=October 2018}}

• Leeds Midland Road depot - the Freightliner maintenance facility close by.

{{reflist|group="note"}}

{{reflist}}

• {{cite book|last=Shannon|first=Paul|title=Rail Freight Since 1968: Containers, Cars and Other Traffics|year=2010|publisher=Silver Link|location=Kettering|isbn=978-1-85794-347-4}}
• {{cite book|last=Shannon|first=Paul|title=Freightliner|year=2013|publisher=Ian Allan Publishing|location=Hersham|isbn=978-0-7110-3688-8}}

• [https://www.gwrr.co.uk/about/locations/leeds/freightliner-leeds-terminal/ Official website]

{{Intermodal railfreight terminals in the Great Britain}}

Category:Railway freight terminals in the United Kingdom

Category:Rail transport in West Yorkshire

Category:Railway depots in Yorkshire

Category:Transport infrastructure completed in 1967

Category:Buildings and structures in Leeds