ELR reduces its steam services as coal supply shortages hit
Lancashire Railway has announced changes to its planned services in the light of issues surrounding the supply of coal.
The railway is the first to modify its services as concerns grow throughout the heritage railway sector about the costs and availability of suitable coal for steam locomotives – although it is thought that a number of other such lines are facing similar supply issues. The ELR has been mainly using coal imported from Russia for use in its fleet, with coal no longer available from the UK.
However, following the Russian invasion of neighbouring Ukraine in late February, all imports of coal from Russia have ceased, leaving the ELR investigating other options for sourcing supplies.
A source told Railways Illustrated that the railway has sufficient coal in stock to allow steam services to continue for a few months, although the move was being introduced to safeguard services while suitable alternative supplies are identified. It is understood that coal is likely to be imported from Columbia. On Sundays during March and early April steam, services would be substituted for one of the line’s diesel fleet, while the diesel diagrams on those dates would be worked by a heritage DMU.
Scheduled dining services will remain steam-hauled and some events would see trains top-andtailed’, with steam at one end of the train and a diesel locomotive at the other end.
The shortage of coal for use in steam locomotives is expected to have a wider effect on the heritage railway movement, with available supplies in high demand.
In recent months the wholesale cost of coal per tonne has risen dramatically to about £450 per tonne as availability has become more challenging. The cost of diesel used by heritage lines is also now at an all-time high after dramatic price increases.