‘Combi consist’ successfully trialled by DB Cargo
DB CARGO says successful operation of a ‘combi consist’ train has prompted it to take trials further, by proving the concept on a longer stretch of the East Coast and Midland Main Lines. On March 10, the freight operator ran a consist of empty wagons which would generally have been worked as two trains for separate customers between Doncaster Belmont Yard and Barking, East London. It was composed of 21 MBAs for Ward Recycling and 18 JNAs for FCC Environment with an isolated and dead-in-train Class 66 (No. 66011) in the middle. The train travelled via Lincoln and Spalding before returning to the ECML and then via the Hertford Loop and Canonbury Tunnel. Special permission was required to position the locomotive within the train and this reduced the need for shunting at either end of the journey. “Combining two customers’ services into one train allowed us to reduce the required number of traincrew, freeingup resources to use on other services. It also enabled us to significantly reduce our fuel consumption, making the train not only leaner, but greener too,” said DB chief sales officer Roger Neary.