Dollands Moor Freight Yard

File:Dollands Moor Freight Terminal - geograph.org.uk - 41741.jpg

Dollands Moor Freight Terminal, the international freight terminal serving the Channel Tunnel. Eurotunnel's Cheriton Terminal, used by cars, coaches and lorries catching the Eurotunnel Shuttle, is in the distance

Dollands Moor Freight Yard is a railway freight yard near Folkestone in Kent, and was purposely built in 1988 for the Channel Tunnel. It is to the west of the Eurotunnel Folkestone Terminal, and just to the south of the M20 Motorway.

Description

It has eight roads in the yard with an additional 5 roads which are through lines and run-round loops. All lines are electrified at 25Kv overhead wires and connections to the west of the yard are also dually electrified with a third rail (750v). This is to allow access to the South-Eastern Main Line at Saltwood Junction just to the east of Sandling Station. Dollands Moor has been operated by Railfreight Distribution since its opening, then EWS and now DB Schenker. Other freight operators pass through the yard, but currently do not stop here.

The function of Dollands Moor is for locomotive and crew changes rather than marshalling trains. Most trains operating from Dollands Moor are of the Trainload variety and if any marshalling needs to be done, it was historically undertaken at European Freight Operating Centre in Wembley. But with the drawdown of the Wagonload network in the UK they now go to Didcot. At the time of writing (October 2015) just one Fridays only working Wagonload train goes through Dollands Moor to Didcot

The lines from Dollands Moor and the CTRL are measured in kilometres and Network Rail lines are all in Miles and chains.

Migratory Activity

Immigrants have been a problem for Dollands Moor; the various instability caused by migrant activity has dwindled freight traffic through the yard and immigrants actually vacating arriving trains have caused security and safety headaches too.

External links

• Dollands Moor @ Kent Rail