Coal makes last trip by rail

In this post we highlight the end of an era for coal by rail through Chesterfield which occurred in late June 2024.

In a September 2023 post we highlighted the probable end of the transportation of coal for power generation along the Midland Mainline. Now that has actually occurred, with a journey from Doncaster to Radcliffe-on-Soar power station on 28 June 2024. This was formerly a regular ‘booked’ journey which normally started with imported coal via Immingham. Perhaps mirroring the decline of the UK coal industry the Immingham Docks facility had once been a major coal exporting site.

A site unlikely to be repeated through Chesterfield. The last load of a once dominant freight through the town – coal for power generation. Headed by a GB Railfreight class 66 locomotive, (66781) which would be named ‘Radcliffe Power Station’ at the facility. 28 June 2024. (Philip Cousins).

Coal travelled down the Midland Mainline, by ‘block’ train to the last UK main-land coal fired power station – the 1967-1970 opened Radcliffe-on-Soar unit. Owned by Uniper, the 2,000 MW station had originally been scheduled to close earlier than the current 30 September 2024 date, but now stockpiles of coal at the facility are believed to be enough to keep it going until its closure date this autumn.

Coal was once a staple of railway freight traffic and there are many old images of the traffic through Chesterfield. It was once used for a variety of purposes ranging from domestic open fires, gas production, electrical generation, steel production and industry of all kinds. Most if not all factories would have a coal fired boiler house, raising steam for use in power houses equipped with stationary steam engines, pumps and the like. The Chesterfield area also once had a not insignificant industry in the making of and repair of coal wagons, particularly when these were wooden bodied.

How it used to be. An ‘up’ coal train on the ex-Midland main lines approaching Chesterfield, photographed by Ben Brooksbank. Possibly late 1950s and taken from the same vantage point as our 2024 photograph above. (Ben Brooksbank via creative common licence).

Local coal merchants, generally based at railway sidings would also sell to households by the bag, or load, delivered if required.

Chesterfield gas works on West Bars, taken from *Commercial Chesterfield* published in 1931. At this date all gas in the town was produced from coal, as was electricity generated from the borough’s own power station on Chatsworth Road. Both these works (and others including Robinsons) were accessed from a ‘Brampton Branch’ line which linked up with the Midland Mainline just south of the current Chesterfield train station.

As is to be expected, the decline of the coal industry is mirrored by its decline as a rail freight. It is well-known the UK coal industry had an accelerated decline in the 1980s. The last large-scale deep mine – Kellingley in North Yorkshire – closed in December 2015. Even then, primarily as an import, in that year coal was still a dominant commodity by rail. But by the year 2023-24 it had the smallest share.

Whilst there is still a remaining coal flow from Immingham by rail to the Hope cement works, this does not normally pass through Chesterfield. (Hope is scheduled to close in 2042).

Unless there is a last minute reprieve for Radcliffe, the last coal flow through Chesterfield, by rail has almost certainly ended. This brings to a close regular coal by rail through the town – the most dominant reason for the actual construction of the railway on which it formerly travelled.