Judges’ comments

This year’s discussion concentrated on how the new fleet of ten locomotives was performing.

At the time, one single Class 88 was in use on an intermodal between Daventry and Mossend. Competitive operators use pairs of Class 90s locomotives or the more powerful but electric-only Class 92.

This has operated without incident, day in day out, over the past year, with the ‘88’ doing the complete job from crane to crane using the diesel mode where necessary.

DRS also operates a nuclear flask service nationwide to a series of nuclear facilities well away from the electrified network. The ‘88’ is also being used on these trains, utilising both the West and East Coast Main Lines in electric mode, but on diesel power for quite long distances such as to Bridgwater.

The installed power of 750kW, about 1,000hp (equivalent to a Type 1 locomotive previously used), is perfectly adequate for this operation, yielding operational savings. The equipment is largely that used in the ‘68’, as are the controls. This has meant that the Class 88 has been used with minimum training throughout the network.

The ‘88’ has achieved its objective in operation as a potential solution to efficient freight train operation operating into terminals. The ability to use metered electric power where available has also achieved considerable fuel cost savings.

This is a very impressive market-focused development pioneered within DRS that works.