London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jul 07, 2025

Steam railways 'will run out of coal', industry warns

Steam railways 'will run out of coal', industry warns

A body representing heritage railways in the UK has issued a stark warning after planning permission was refused for a coal mine near Newcastle.

The Heritage Railway Association (HRA) says English coal supplies will run out in early 2021, with Welsh supplies lasting until 2022.

Chairman of the West Somerset Railway Jonathan Jones-Pratt said:"The whole industry is in jeopardy over this.

"We've got so much coal here but the problem is that we can't extract it."

Steam locomotives rely on bituminous lump coal to burn, which is relatively smokeless and comparatively clean.

The opencast mine at Dewley Hill, near Newcastle, would have produced this coal but it was rejected for environmental reasons.

'Dashed hopes'


The HRA said the decision "dashed the hopes of Britain's heritage railways, who need affordable coal to continue operating".

The only remaining mine producing lump coal in the UK is Ffos-Y-Fran near Merthyr Tydfil, which is due to close in 2022.

It is estimated the heritage railway industry used 26,000 tonnes of coal per year pre-Covid, accounting for 0.02% of the UK's carbon emissions.


Heritage railways rely on a particular type of coal to run their engines

Once stocks run out the industry will be reliant on foreign imports as demand from the steam industry would not be enough to sustain a domestic coal mine, according to the HRA.

Ian Crowder, from the Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Steam Railway, said: "We've burned Russian and Polish coal in the past, but it was filthy stuff and difficult to run the engine without producing a lot of smoke.

"Bringing it from overseas will be more expensive in the future and will generate a huge carbon footprint.

'Political thing'


"We pay £200 per tonne of coal now. In normal circumstances our engines use three to four tonnes a day, even with footplate crews being economical."

Mr Jones-Pratt said the "public perception" of coal was the reason new mines were refused.

"The industry keeps being hit by these planning application refusals, but steam railways are so popular and we're always overbooked, it's just a political thing," he said.


The West Somerset Railway suffered trading losses of more than £800,000 in 2019

Tom Bright, from Steam Railway Magazine, said the issue was another "nail in the coffin" for the industry on top of Covid-19.

"I'm an environmentalist, but they have to burn coal and it has to come from somewhere.

"The problem is that it's a visible burner and it looks worse than it is, but if an engine is fired properly the exhaust is very clean.

"We face a future where the Hogwarts Express, The Flying Scotsman and other famous engines will be reliant on foreign coal.

Lower emissions


"Overseas sellers could charge what they want, it genuinely puts these engines at risk."

Some attractions, like the Severn Valley Railway, have already switched to overseas supplies.

"We'd been using British coal the past ten years but our supply ran out in mid-December," said Duncan Ballard, the railway's contracts manager.

"We are currently sourcing coal from abroad and are working with other railways to secure a sustainable and reasonably-priced source.

"One of the unexpected benefits of this is that its CO2 emissions are significantly lower than those of our previous coal."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
×