GB Railfreight unveils Class 99 plans

AT THE end of April, GB Railfreight confirmed that it will operate 30

Class 99 hybrid locomotives, funded by Beacon Rail and built by Stadler. The Co-Co machines will be based on Stadler’s successful Eurodual platform and can run under 25kV AC electric routes, but are also equipped with a Stage V emissions diesel engine.

The locomotives, due to start operations in 2025, will replace Class 66 diesels, and GBRf estimates that their use will cut emissions by around 50% per journey, saving a total of some

Stadler 585,000 tonnes of carbon each year.

The UK has been slow to adopt hybrid locomotives compared to other European countries. The only machines currently working on the UK main line network are DRS’ 10 Class 88s.

Rail Operations Group has 30

Class 93 tri-mode locos on order from Stadler, the first of which could arrive in the UK at the end of this year, though the fleet is unlikely to enter revenue-earning service until 2023.