Willesden Logistics Hub

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Willesden Logistics Hub
General information
Location Willesden
Brent
England
Coordinates 51°31′59.71″N0°15′6.51″W / 51.5332528°N 0.2518083°W / 51.5332528; -0.2518083
Other information
StatusOperational
History
Opened7 June 1994 (1994-06-07)

Willesden Logistics Hub is a freight railway station situated adjacent to the West Coast Main Line in Willesden, England.

Contents

History

The site was rebuilt to handle container freight through the Channel Tunnel and was known as Willesden Euro Terminal, one of nine such facilities constructed. Prior to this, it was already in use as a freight handling yard. [1] The first train departed for the tunnel on 27 June 1994. [2] However, the site did not see as much use as hoped due to declining levels of freight trains using the Channel Tunnel. As a result, the customs facilities were de-staffed, and eventually the site stopped handling international trains. It continued to be used for domestic railfreight purposes. [3]

The site was identified by High Speed 2 (HS2) as a candidate for use as a construction compound. [1] Work started in 2018 to dismantle the disused cranes at the site. This was completed in March 2019. [4]

The first train ran from the refurbished facility on 2 July 2021. [5]

Usage

The facility is expected to handle up to eight freight trains per day during the construction of HS2. [6]

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References

  1. 1 2 Waite, Jordan (12 July 2017). "Have You Seen These Remnants Of A Failed Eurotunnel Project?". Londonist. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
  2. "Willesden cranes make way for HS2 logistics yard". The Construction Index. 25 February 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
  3. "International rail freight post-Brexit" (PDF). Rail Delivery Group. p. 23. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
  4. "Works now finished at HS2 Willesden Euro terminal". John F Hunt. 15 March 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
  5. Roberts, Matt (2 July 2021). "First trains depart from HS2's Willesden Logistics Hub". Rail Technology Magazine. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
  6. "HS2 Deliveries to Take 1.5m Lorries from Roads". UK Construction Online. 2 September 2020. Retrieved 3 July 2021.