Freight train carrying diesel on fire near Llanelli

[existentialist]

One of the freight trains that do the run from the Pembrokeshire refineries has caught fire at Llangennech, near Llanelli. No reports of casualties, but nearby homes evacuated.

Llangennech: Diesel spill after train derails catching fire

The two workers who were onboard the train have been accounted for and no injuries are reported.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[existentialist]

Standing down the evacuation now...

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Glad nobody was hurt.

 

[editor]

Pics on BBC

 

[teuchter]

Some aerial footage

 

[existentialist]

Some aerial footage

Just as well it was carrying diesel, not petrol! And that's the smaller of the two regular Robeston fuel trains.

Those things thread their way through West Wales pretty much daily, although most of the line is pretty rural and remote - but a big bulk fuel fire in somewhere like Llanelli (which it does pass through) would be a worrying thing. Thank goodness it wasn't more serious, and that nobody was hurt.

 

[existentialist]

Pics on BBC

View attachment 228036

View attachment 228037

View attachment 228038

I expect we'll find out in due course, but there's some interesting aspects to the two lineside photos - that loco is "wrong line".

ETA: oh. Looks like that was put on afterwards to rescue the wagons at the back of the train that were still on the rails. Mystery solved

But all the signals are borked, and it's closed the Heart of Wales line (as well as, presumably, everything Points West).

ETA2: nah, it's fine, I didn't realise Llangennech was after the "District line" diverted from the line into Swansea. HoW line still stuffed, though.

 

[teuchter]

I expect we'll find out in due course, but there's some interesting aspects to the two lineside photos - that loco is "wrong line".

I believe it's not the train loco but one that went in subsequently to remove some of the wagons that were at the rear of the train.

 

[teuchter]

Just as well it was carrying diesel, not petrol! And that's the smaller of the two regular Robeston fuel trains.

Those things thread their way through West Wales pretty much daily, although most of the line is pretty rural and remote - but a big bulk fuel fire in somewhere like Llanelli (which it does pass through) would be a worrying thing. Thank goodness it wasn't more serious, and that nobody was hurt.

A similar train carrying 2000t of aviation fuel goes past about 15m from the back of my flat in south london daily. Well, it did before Covid. The fuel was going to Heathrow, and I believe their requirements are slightly down now.

But anyway, safer transporting this kind of stuff by rail than in thousands of lorries.

 

[StoneRoad]

Dat's a right mess. Very glad no-one was hurt, even with such a major incident. Hope that the unburnt diesel is contained and not polluting anywhere.

No doubt RAIB will produce a report in due course.



Despite what * some * sensationalist reporting would have you believe, rail transport is far better for such materials / products. Much less risk than the equivalent moves by road.

 

[existentialist]

A similar train carrying 2000t of aviation fuel goes past about 15m from the back of my flat in south london daily. Well, it did before Covid. The fuel was going to Heathrow, and I believe their requirements are slightly down now.

But anyway, safer transporting this kind of stuff by rail than in thousands of lorries.

Oh, definitely safer, yes. I heard something a while back that 25% of the UK's energy comes in via Milford Haven - including crude, refined stuff, and LNG (which is probably the largest proportion). The LNG gets sent up the line via a pipeline.

 

[editor]

I expect we'll find out in due course, but there's some interesting aspects to the two lineside photos - that loco is "wrong line".

ETA: oh. Looks like that was put on afterwards to rescue the wagons at the back of the train that were still on the rails. Mystery solved

But all the signals are borked, and it's closed the Heart of Wales line (as well as, presumably, everything Points West).

ETA2: nah, it's fine, I didn't realise Llangennech was after the "District line" diverted from the line into Swansea. HoW line still stuffed, though.
View attachment 228042

That freight line is going to come in handy for a bit though.

 

[planetgeli]

Just as well it was carrying diesel, not petrol! And that's the smaller of the two regular Robeston fuel trains.

Those things thread their way through West Wales pretty much daily, although most of the line is pretty rural and remote - but a big bulk fuel fire in somewhere like Llanelli (which it does pass through) would be a worrying thing. Thank goodness it wasn't more serious, and that nobody was hurt.

There's places within just a few hundred yards of that where it would have been much worse. Looks a right mess in teuchter's post. Pretty sure a couple of workmates of mine will have been evacuated, from where the road closures are that's the Bryn end of Llangennech & Bryn (one of the nicer parts of Llanelli as it happens, villages on the edge).

 

[teuchter]

The pipeline system I think was built in the war, by the state. Relatively recently it was privatised, and parts of it I gather are a bit decrepit. But that's all fine, it's not like it's some kind of critical strategic national infrastructure or anything

 

[StoneRoad]

The pipeline system I think was built in the war, by the state. Relatively recently it was privatised, and parts of it I gather are a bit decrepit. But that's all fine, it's not like it's some kind of critical strategic national infrastructure or anything

That's the crude oil one, and there have been renewals in some areas.
The LNG route is relatively new.

very pleased that the orimulsion (sp?) didn't happen, the vapours from that are disgusting.

 

[existentialist]

That's the crude oil one, and there have been renewals in some areas.
The LNG route is relatively new.

very pleased that the orimulsion (sp?) didn't happen, the vapours from that are disgusting.

I'm pretty sure the old power station was burning the grottiest of the crude residue - but yes, the orimulsion thing would have been horrible. The new power station essentially burns evaporate from the LNG tanks - they drilled a big tunnel under the Haven to pipe it through from the LNG terminal on the far side. So all it produces is, essentially, water vapour and carbon dioxide.

 

[existentialist]

Bit of a mess, then. Reports are that the fire is still burning, and the FB are considering just letting it burn out. Looks like it happened just before (or at?) the junction where the line to Pontarddulais diverges from the Swansea avoiding line.

 

[planetgeli]

Yeah I was wrong about it being the Bryn end, this is just through Llangennech. Looks like it's come off on some points.

 

[existentialist]

Yeah I was wrong about it being the Bryn end, this is just through Llangennech. Looks like it's come off on some points.

View attachment 228087

You can see, by comparing your aerial photo with the photo of the accident that there's a huge bite been taken out of what was pretty solid forest beforehand - presumably burned away, down to the ground, by the fires. The video footage is pretty eye-opening - there were at least two big bursts of flame, presumably two of the wagons exploding. It must have been a very scary thing for the locals to be woken up by.

 

[davesgcr]

The derailment has totalled what in official terms is Morlais South Junction - so the Heart of Wales is stuffed , with major washouts north of Knucklas. The line has had a bad run recently with bridge problems in that area. Recovery and restitution will be quite a big job.

Luckily - freight to and from SW Wales can pick it;s carefull way round the back of Landore dept and up the modest hill known as Cockett bank.

The environmental damage is a concern , the picking of cockles at Penclawdd has ceased for now. A very well established local industry.

 

[Dogsauce]

Ground/groundwater contamination will be a big issue, got to hope most of it burned off. My old job was dealing with the aftermath of spills like this.

Coincidentally I had a video on my phone of the same rake of wagons passing through Bristol earlier in the week with the return empties working which I’ve now uploaded, some of the tank wagons look pretty scruffy though that’s probably the nature of the work.

 

[existentialist]

Ground/groundwater contamination will be a big issue, got to hope most of it burned off. My old job was dealing with the aftermath of spills like this.

Coincidentally I had a video on my phone of the same rake of wagons passing through Bristol earlier in the week with the return empties working which I’ve now uploaded, some of the tank wagons look pretty scruffy though that’s probably the nature of the work.

They've suspended cockle picking in the area, and there are lots of local reports of diesel in the water, so no, they weren't that lucky...

 

[davesgcr]

The entire ballast that the tracks sit on will apparently need to be excavated , as it is clearly saturated with the fuel spillage (each tank car holds about 80 tons of fuel when full - yes -some of it will have been burnt off) , that is after a tricky recovery operation to move the remains of the tank wagons. Then the entire junction will have to be put back in. Say a couple of weeks work.

As for a clean up operation in the immediate saltmarsh etc area , - well - a challenge for the environmental experts. This will cost a lot of money.

 

[StoneRoad]

according to the beeb - no sign of criminal intent.
by that I presume they mean deliberate derailment ?

Llangennech: 'No criminal intent' in train derailment that caused fire

Foul play is ruled out in a crash that caused a train carrying diesel to catch fire and spill oil.

www.bbc.co.uk

I think that is still going to be a right ballache cleaning that mess up. Luckily the majority of the tankers look reasonably OK.

 

[editor]

New pics and info here

 

[editor]

What a mess

 

[davesgcr]

A nice chunky crane , and 4 flat wagons are on site by now , so some serious clearance will take place in the morning. (It came from Eastleigh) , the local freights from Trostre etc have been handled quite well with some good old fashioned operating.

As an ex railway mate (like me retired) -40 years or so ago they would have used this as an excuse to close both the Swansea District and the South end of the HoW line.

Locals not happy by some accounts about the environmental issues appertaining. Makes you realise how important these areas are for marine and wildlife.

 

[StoneRoad]

definitely going to take some clearing up - especially worrying is the spread of that spilt diesel.

Llangennech: Oil spill spreads for miles after train derailment

A major operation continues after the derailment spilled oil into a nearby estuary.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[existentialist]

A nice chunky crane , and 4 flat wagons are on site by now , so some serious clearance will take place in the morning. (It came from Eastleigh) , the local freights from Trostre etc have been handled quite well with some good old fashioned operating.

As an ex railway mate (like me retired) -40 years or so ago they would have used this as an excuse to close both the Swansea District and the South end of the HoW line.

Locals not happy by some accounts about the environmental issues appertaining. Makes you realise how important these areas are for marine and wildlife.

Something I found myself wondering. In a situation like this, where you're loading wagons, in the field, with what will essentially be large pieces of scrap, how do they go about gauging the load, not to mention securing big, misshapen objects so they don't shift out-of-gauge en route, or even fall off?

 

[existentialist]

Some drone footages.