More EcoFret wagonsfor GBRf
GBRAILFREIGiHslTeasing anadditiona5l 2Ecofret2 intermodawl agonsetsfrom VTGRaUil K.
Thewagonswill join 32 triplesetsalreadyon orderand dueto enterservicein 2020/21.
Thewagonsarebeing built in the UKbyWH Davisof Shirebrook.
VTGRailUKawardedthe Nottinghamshirceompany anorderfor 84 EcoFret2 setsin Januarya, llof which arenowdestinedfor GBRf. Maintenancwe ill becarried out byVTGin Birminghamand Peterborough.
Thewagonswill befitted with GPS-basetrdackingand monitoringsystemsa,llowing bothownerandoperatorto keeptrackof theirlocationand condition.
Ecofrewt agonsallowfor morecontainertso becarried pertrain,leadingto greater loadefficiency.
Thewagonsalsohelp to improvethespacing of containersr,educing turbulencewhentrains aretravellingat speedand reducingfuelconsumption.
Railstepsup to boost Chinato Europefreight
RECORnDumbersoffreight trainshaveoperatedbetween ChinaandEuropeduring the Covid-19crisisp, roviding coverfor disruptedairandsea routes.
May6 sawthe 1,000thtrain of containersboundfor Europe setoff fromXi'andespitemost trainsbeingsuspendedat the heightof the pandemicin Chinaearlierthisyear.
Themilestonewasreached 78daysearlierthanin 2019, with trafficup by41.7%to almostwo milliontonnes.
Sincethe launchof the Chinato Europefreight trainsin 2013,morethan 40countriesandregions havetrialledandintroduced throughservicesin, cluding the UK.
Thelatestrouteto beadded wasXi'anto BarcelonianApril.
DBCargofuel train contractextended
DBCARGOhassignedathreeyearcontractextensionwith PumaEnergy(UK)to move morethanonemilliontonnes of fuelperyearfromcoastal refineriesto inlandterminals.
ThedealmeansDBCwill continueto operateregular 3,000-tonnfeueloil trainsfrom MilfordHavenandlmmingham to ThealeinWiltshireand Westerleighn,earBristol.
Upgrades
Thelocationof the reactivated yard hassavedGBRfmany hundredsof milesof empty runningfor wagon maintenance, which usedto be undertakenin Doncaster.
Alsoin CambridgeshireG, BRf iscontinuingto investin its Peterboroughdepot,including upgradesto the locomotive fuelling system,and working with BalfourBeattyand NetworkRail to createnew intermodalsidings just north of Peterborough station.
Thisfollowsa £3million investmentin 2019to install drivertraining simulators,new welfarefacilities,officesand classroomsat the depot.
■ GBRfhasappointed Alex as its new general infrastructure manager.Mr Kirkjoins the companyfrom Network Rail's commercialfreight team, where he worked asfreight manager in Walesand sponsoredfreight enhancementprojects in the south, including leading the Felixstowebranch upgrade.