Business overseas

GB Railfreight Managing Director John Smith says the company will look to start working abroad.

“We need to diversify. The UK has the most effective rail freight operators in the world. There is huge scope, and we could go abroad. We have opportunities within our portfolio in Belgium, for example.”

He said that GBRf now has “more than enough” Class 66s in the UK, and that some could be exported if required. He highlighted that five of the fleet were imported from Europe (66747-66749 from Holland and 66750/751 from Germany), and that they could be returned to mainland Europe if the need arose. “They are a flexible asset,” he said.