GB Railfreight expected to make further fleet additions

GB Railfreight needs to acquire even more locomotives to ensure it meets forecast growth, according to insiders.

Having agreed to lease four Class 66s that are currently in Scandinavia ( RAIL 870), the operator has also since bought 60008 from DB Cargo. The ‘60’ joins 13 classmates that GBRf acquired last year, of which ten are in use.

Meanwhile, the operator is looking at other options. These include the spot-hire of two preserved Class 50s ( RAIL 871), while there is still the chance that its unrebuilt Class 73s could be rebuilt with MTU power units (as per the ‘73/9s’), although that would depend on GBRf winning work with Network Rail as part of the Control Period 6 infrastructure contracts.

GBRf has also won infrastructure monitoring work from NR. That will also need to be resourced, although it is unclear at this stage if that applies just to crews or whether locomotives will also be needed.

Meanwhile, Class 56s being re-engineered for GBRf are likely to be reclassified as Class 69s when they enter service.

GBRf bought an initial 16 locomotives from UK Railfreight, with most set to be fitted with Electro-Motive Diesel power units. The work is being carried out by EMD at its Longport facility near Stoke. GBRf added a 17th when it bought 56128 from scrap dealer CF Booth’s at Rotherham.

It is understood that the first ‘69’ will likely enter traffic in around 18 months, but will be released for testing and commissioning a few months before.

Ten ‘56s’ are currently at Longport (56007/009/018/031/0 32/037/038/069, 56128, 56311), with work already under way on some of the locomotives. RAIL understands it’s possible that not all the locomotives acquired will return to traffic. It’s also understood that two Class 56s currently in use with GBRf (56098 and 56312) will be re-engined, but that these will move to Longport towards the end of the programme.

A further five Class 56s are still at UKRL’s Leicester site (56060/065/077/081, 56104), and these are due at Longport imminently.

MARTYN FORDHAM. GB Railfreight 66712 Peterborough Power Signalbox passes the branch to Arcow Quarry (on the Settle-Carlisle Line) on January 23, hauling the 0902 Carlisle-Clitheroe cement train. GBRf requires more locomotives to bolster its fleet as the company continues to win contracts.