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Ukraine war sparks Welsh steam railways coal shortage

BBC Steam trainBBC
Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railway runs trains run from Porthmadog to Blaenau Ffestiniog and Caernarfon

A shortage of coal is worrying vintage steam railway operators as they welcome visitors over the Easter holidays.

When coal supplies are low in the UK, they can usually turn to Russian coal but it is not available following the war in Ukraine.

The UK has committed to ending all imports of Russian coal and oil.

The manager at Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railway said he was concerned about supplies with only enough coal to last until the summer.

Paul Lewin said: "We're perfectly fine for the Easter holidays and well into the summer."

Paul Lewin, director and general manager
Paul Lewin, manager at Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railway, says coal supplies are "concerning" but not an "immediate" problem

"We are concerned… it's not immediate," said Mr Lewin, adding: "We are being careful with our fuel to make sure we can eke it out as long as possible."

Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railway runs trains run from Porthmadog to Blaenau Ffestiniog and from Caernarfon to Porthmadog.

It is one of a dozen heritage railways in Wales.

Getty Images Coal on a steam trainGetty Images
Coal stocks are running out fast, according to Steve Oates from the Heritage Railway Association

Ffos-y-fran coal mine near Merthyr Tydfil was supplying the railway with coal but Mr Lewin said a piece of machinery broke in January which has affected supplies, and the mine was due to close this year.

It has started to test a new way of operating steam trains, using rapeseed oil instead of coal.

"We've got some old, small locos from quarries, from the Welsh slate industry, and they provide the ideal test bed. They're quite small and we can make them work quite hard," Mr Lewin said.

"We're not the world's experts in combustion but we are quickly having to become so in order to find a way through to the future."

oilseed rape oil
Rapeseed oil coal is being tested as an alternative to coal due to the uncertainty of supply
oilseed rape oil

Alex Hinshelwood, operations manager of the Blaenavon Heritage Railway in Torfaen, is also concerned about supplies.

He decided to buy a year's worth of supplies to make sure trains can keep running, but even then prices had risen from £220 a tonne to £270 in just a few months.

Such a large outlay in one go is also difficult for the small, volunteer-run railway.

Barbara M Fuller Steam train on Talyllyn RailwayBarbara M Fuller
Heritage railways attract an estimated one million visitors a year to Wales

"It is a worry but we're hoping a little railway like this, which burns about 180 tonnes of coal a year - a tiny amount compares to other railways - will be all right," he said.

"Twenty-eight tonnes normally lasts us three or four months but the bigger railways are really starting to find it difficult because they haven't got the room to store a year's worth."

Using old clothes to power engines

Talyllyn Railway in Gwynedd has been experimenting with a blend of fuel called ecoal, which includes anthracite coal and biomass which can be "olive oil husks or even old clothing", according to general manager Stuart Williams. But it is costly.

"Ecoal is at least double the price of what we're paying at the moment which, for a small operation, can be quite an impact," he said.

"We're at the start of a journey, but we run trains every day so we can have a little tweak every day. It's quite interesting really."

Steve Oates, chief executive of the Heritage Railway Association, told the Guardian that the situation was "very serious".

"Our coal stocks are running out fast and the search is on to find alternative sources from overseas," he said.