Cool move for new rail freight flow

DRS has partnered with supermarket giant Tesco to provide a new rail freight service, distributing chilled goods from Tilbury, outside London, to Coatbridge in Scotland. It is the first time Tesco has used refrigerated rail freight in the UK, and two trains will run each day, seven days a week. Each journey would require the equivalent of 40 HGVs if road transport was used. DRS’ bi-mode Class 88s will provide traction, running mainly in electric mode for the 415-mile journey, although a surge in energy prices in late 2021 saw many operators temporarily opting to run diesel powered trains as these were cheaper. It is unclear whether further hikes in electricity prices would result in similar action being taken, which would lessen the green credentials of the Tesco operation. Currently the new service, which started in December, is forecast to take at least 17,000 containers off the road each year, saving Tesco 7.3 million road miles and the planet nearly 9000 tonnes of CO2.

David Clough Tesco already runs a well-established non-refrigerated container flow between the East Midlands and Scotland. Here, No. 88005 passes Golborne Junction with a Daventry IRFT to Mossend Euroterminal service.