HSTs and electric traction on Europhoenix’s radar
EUROPHOENIX is looking to expand its fleet beyond just Class 37s.
The company currently has five ‘37s’ on hire to Rail Operations Group (37601/608/611, 37800/ 884), and is in the final stages of providing two more locomotives for main line traffic (37510 and 37901 Mirrlees Pioneer).
EP also owns 37503, which is stored at UK Rail Leasing’s Leicester depot and could be reactivated if required.
However, it is keen to further broaden its fleet, and is investigating electric traction that will be available from next year, as well as High Speed Trains.
In the next year, Greater Anglia Class 90s and LNER Class 91s will be returned to their owners - Porterbrook and Eversholt Rail Leasing respectively. While Locomotive Services Ltd (LSL) has bought two ‘90s’, the remaining 13 are available. Freight operating companies are known to be interested in the 30-year-old electrics, but EP has also expressed interest.
Likewise, so far Eversholt Rail has only secured work for five of the 31 Class 91s beyond their career with LNER, and EP is also interested in these. It has previous experience with electric traction, having operated ‘86s’ in the UK while also supplying electric locomotives to Eastern European countries.
Diesel locomotives are also on the radar for the company, with Class 67s having been discussed along with redundant HSTs.
So far, LSL has acquired HSTs, and GB Railfreight is known to be keen on purchasing sets. Other operators have been linked with the sets, which are currently being sent off-lease by Great Western Railway (GWR).
Porterbrook-owned HSTs will be withdrawn from traffic by GWR next year, with East Midlands Trains-owned sets to follow.
No duties have been mentioned regarding the HSTs, but hiring to train operating companies is thought to be a possible business in the future.