The fact that British Rail (BR), and rail transport in general, has been trusted to move significant tonnages of hazardous chemicals and flammable liquids for considerable distances across the country, including to and from mainland Europe via the Dover and Harwich train ferry operations, and through major conurbations, is a testament of the railway’s excellent safety case record.
Yes, accidents do occasionally happen, but rail was always the preferred transport mode, where possible, when it came to such movements and especially so when consignments were significant enough in volume to be handled by means of running block train services direct between manufacturer and customer.
Although not exactly measuring up to the bulk trainload model visually, as such, because of their comparatively short train length (see below), the deadliest traffic entrusted…