Runcorn’s Folly Lane Branch - Freight, Chemical Industry Change, and Rail Revival

Nearly a decade had passed since the first visit to Runcorn in 1994, yet the freight branch to Folly Lane was, rather gratifyingly, still active, allowing further movements to be recorded. The line had originally been constructed to link the Runcorn docks with the main railway, but over time its purpose shifted, becoming a vital connection for the area’s chemical industries, including ICI. As demand from these industries declined towards the end of the 20th century, the outlook for rail traffic grew increasingly uncertain.That changed when Ineos Chlor, the new owners of ICI’s heavy chemicals division, invested in new infrastructure at Picow Farm Road, installing a caustic soda loading gantry and a container lift. With three trains per week running from the site, the branch suddenly appeared to have a more promising future.
Further renewal came with the construction of a new power station on the former ICI Weston Workshops site. Designed to generate electricity from household waste, it opened in 2015 and was expected to process three trainloads per week. Alongside the power station’s development, significant upgrades were made to the permanent way, including new track and points, as well as the installation of a large unloading crane to handle the containers of domestic refuse.