Cornish railway that has to make use of coal from KAZAKHSTAN: Steam railway imports coal from 3,100 miles away after ban on British mining compelled pit in Wales to shut
- Bodmin and Wenford Railway had been equipped by Ffos-y-Fran pit in Wales
- Pit close to Merthyr Tydfil, one of many final sources of British coal, closing in months
- Leaves the railway with little possibility however to supply coal from 3,100 miles away
A heritage steam railway has been compelled to import coal from greater than 3,000 miles away after a ban on British mining led to pit closures.
Bodmin and Wenford Railway had been equipped by Ffos-y-Fran, an opencast mine lower than 200 miles away in South Wales, for the final 4 years.
The pit close to Merthyr Tydfil, one of many final sources of British coal, is to shut within the coming months following the Authorities's announcement that the gas will probably be phased out from February subsequent 12 months.
It leaves the Cornish railway with little possibility however to supply decrease high quality coal from a mine 3,100 miles away in Kazakhstan, after the Heritage Railway Affiliation secured particular dispensation to proceed to make use of imported provides regardless of accessible assets shut by. All different heritage railways must quickly do the identical.
The Bodmin and Wenford Railway, which runs for six-and-a-half miles between Bodmin Parkway and Boscarne Junction, can burn as much as two tons of coal a day.
Spokesman Jimmy James stated: 'Coal from Kazakhstan is imported through the port of Immingham after a couple of thousand miles of travel across Europe.
It then reaches Bodmin by road, through yet more eco-unfriendly travel. And it vastly increases the cost.
'The Bodmin and Wenford was once part of the Great Western Railway, which used high-quality, less polluting Welsh steam coal to power its locomotives.
The majority of our locos are ex-GWR, thus purpose-built for the Welsh variety.
'We do not know how reliable the Kazakh source may prove to be, nor as yet how much we will have to raise our prices.'
Mr James stated Ffos-y-Fran was primarily there to produce the metal works at Port Talbot and close by Aberthaw energy station, and provides to steam railways was 'just a small part of their business'.
He added: 'The logic of the steel industry having to import coal from around the world, and not using home resources, appears to be lost on the green lobby.'
