‘88’ main line debut
Class 88s enter main line revenue-earning traffic, with dual-mode locomotive hauling Northern Belle charter.
Class 88s entered revenueearning traffic on May 9, when 88002 Prometheus hauled Belmond’s Northern Belle from London Euston to Carlisle.
The Direct Rail Services dualmode locomotive hauled the charter, carrying a mixture of VIPs and paying guests, on electric power via the West Coast Main Line in both directions.
Built by Stadler in Valencia, the first ‘88’ was delivered to the UK in January. Previously, they have carried out test trains between Carlisle Kingmoor and Crewe, both as light locomotives and with loaded tests.
The locomotives are funded by Beacon Rail, which leases them to DRS. All ten had arrived in the UK by March 30, and it is planned to introduce them on a wide range of trains including intermodal trains that currently employ pairs of Class 68s.
DRS plans to use the ‘88s’ where their 1,000hp diesel engine can haul freight trains away from the overhead wires where needed. The company is also planning to withdraw and sell more of its older traction types, such as Class 37s, while RAIL understands that Class 57s could also become available.
On May 16 (as this issue of RAIL went to press), no ‘88’ had yet hauled a freight train on the UK national network, although they have been approved to do so. One locomotive was expected to attend the Severn Valley Railway diesel gala on May 18-20, while another was planned to haul a Pathfinder charter via the Settle-Carlisle Line on May 20.
Stadler told RAIL at Railtex on May 9 that the dual-mode locomotives were available for other operators to buy. While freight operators and campaigners have discussed the benefits of ‘last mile’ locomotives capable of running long-distance under OLE before using a smaller engine to complete their journeys into nonelectrified terminals, the ‘88’ is the first example built for the UK.
DRS is still to take delivery of seven Stadler Class 68s from Spain, with 68028-034 due by the summer.