New life for Willesden Freightliner Terminal

Familiar site to WCML passengers is repurposed as a logistics hub for HS2.

Spoil excavated from the construction of HS2 is being moved to a logistics hub located at the site of the former

Willesden Freightliner terminal which opened in 1967 and later became one of nine Euro terminals to cater for Channel Tunnel traffic.

It subsequently ceased to be used for inter-modal activity as the expected volume of international traffic did not materialise, and had fallen into disuse by 2005, although the site has been used since for a number of alternative rail-related purposes.

As well as spoil, the hub will handle inward construction materials, including concrete rings that will line the HS2 tunnels. The excavated material is likely to amount to 5.6 million tonnes, which will be dispatched by rail to sites at Barrington, accessed from Foxton (Cambridgeshire), Cliffe (Kent) and Rugby, to level ground for future property development. Operations commenced in June with GB Railfreight providing haulage.

Trains are made up with a payload of 1470 tonnes and it is expected that eight services will arrive and depart daily. HS2 has said that the rail programme will remove the equivalent of 76 heavy good vehicles for each train movement, reducing carbon emissions by 40%.

HS2 On September 14, a teenage rail fan named GB Railfreight Class 66 No. 66796 The Green Progressor at the Willesden logistics hub, before the loco moved away to reveal a shunter named after him (see Shunters, page 35). The Class 66 was moved to Longport by classmate No. 66764 the following day.