GB Railfreight celebrates Wascosa and Network Rail partnership

NETWORK RAIL, GB Railfreight and Swiss wagon manufacturer and leasing company Wascosa came together at London Victoria station on June 28 to celebrate the delivery of new wagon fleets by Wascosa for use by Network Rail on infrastructure and engineering trains.

Introducing the event was GB Railfreight chief executive officer John Smith, who outlined the vital work done by the rail freight sector in keeping the UK economy moving, the green credentials of rail as opposed to alternative road transport, and as the important work done by the sector in helping Network Rail in maintaining and upgrading the rail network.

The Wascosa wagons being delivered to the UK for Network Rail are being supplied to allow the widespread renewal of the NR wagon fleet. They have been designed with many improvements and safety features to benefit the modern railway network compared with the wagons that they are now replacing.

Speaking at the roll-out event, Wascosa chief executive officer Peter Balzer said: “We are grateful to Network Rail for allowing us the opportunity to supply 570 new wagons to support its maintenance and renewal activities for the coming years. Wascosa was formed in Lucerne in Switzerland in 1964 as a family business. The company now operates in 23 countries across Europe and in the UK. Wascosa is the fourth largest leasing company for freight wagons in Europe and has produced almost 16,000 wagons.

‘Great pride’

“We take great pride in our pioneering technical development in the rail wagon market; our wagons are all equipped with the latest safety features and can be used for moving a variety of freight across rail networks.”

To mark the new partnership between the companies, GBRF has repainted 66720 into its orange and blue colours, with Wascosa branding on the bodysides, and Mr Balzer unveiled the name Wascosa on the locomotive during the London Victoria roll-out event.

Behind the locomotive were a range of the new Wascosa wagons supplied by the company for Network Rail, with GBRF’S 66729 Derby County at the other end of the train to work out of London later in the day.

The transformation of 66720 is the third for the Class 66. Originally delivered as one of a batch of locomotives to work services in connection with now-defunct London Underground maintenance company Metronet, it went on to receive a particularly colourful ‘night and day’ and rainbow design following a competition won in 2011 by seven-year-old Emily Goodman. The locomotive carried the distinctive livery for 11 years before its latest incarnation for Wascosa.

Richard Lillie On the third day of the RMT rail strikes, June 25, here is the remarkable sight of 37425 pulling LNER DVT 82214, Mk.4 stock and 91101 Flying Scotsman from York to Neville Hill Depot. Overhead line damage between Doncaster and Leeds caused three trains to be stabled overnight at York station, before being then sent to Leeds the following day. The other LNER Class 91s and their trains which were stabled at York were 91119 Bounds Green Intercity Depot 1977-2017 and 91114 Durham Cathedral.

Andy Coward Andy Coward Wascosa chief executive officer Peter Balzer unveils the name Wascosa on the side of repainted 66720 at London Victoria on June 28. Newly reliveried and named 66720 Wascosa stands at the stop blocks at London Victoria on June 28 at a specially organised event to celebrate Wascosa supplying a range of wagons to Network Rail, which will be operated by GB Railfreight on infrastructure trains.

Andy Coward The at other end of the specially-assembled Wascosa wagon train at London Victoria on June 28 was 66729 Derby County, ready to work the train out of London. The event was organised as a celebration of new Network Rail wagon deliveries by Wascosa for use by GB Railfreight.