 | |
 DRS Class 66 container train at Scotchman's Bridge in 2014 | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Main region | Great Britain |
| Parent company | Nuclear Transport Services (part of theNuclear Decommissioning Authority)[3] |
| Headquarters | Carlisle, England, UK[2] |
| Dates of operation | February 1995[1]–present |
| Other | |
| Website | www |
Direct Rail Services (DRS) is arail freight company inGreat Britain, and is one of thepublicly owned railway companies in the United Kingdom.
DRS was created as a wholly owned subsidiary ofBritish Nuclear Fuels Ltd (BNFL) during late 1994 with the primary purpose of taking over the rail-based handling of nuclear material fromBritish Rail. As early as 1997, the company began diversification into other operations, initially bidding for contracts to haul freight traffic for other companies such asTesco andEddie Stobart Group. Furthermore, DRS has branched into passenger services, these have includedcharters, such as theNorthern Belle, and contracts with operators such asNational Express East Anglia,Chiltern Railways, andArriva Rail North. Additional rolling stock, such as theClass 57 andClass 88 locomotives, have been acquired by DRS during the 2010s.
In 2005, DRS was transferred from BNFL to the newly createdNuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA). During early 2021, further restructuring led to DRS, along with sibling subsidiaries Pacific Nuclear Transport Limited (PNTL) andInternational Nuclear Services (INS), falling under a new NDA division,Nuclear Transport Solutions (NTS).
The origins of Direct Rail Services (DRS) can be traced back to theprivatisation of British Rail during the 1990s;British Nuclear Fuels Ltd (BNFL) had a long-standing arrangement withBritish Rail for the latter to undertake the haulage ofnuclear flask traffic, but the pending dissolution of British Rail led to BNFL considering other options. In October 1994, it was announced that BNFL had decided to perform rail transport and other railway-related services internally.[4][5] For this purpose, DRS was set up as a wholly owned rail freight subsidiary of BNFL, initially using a small fleet of fiveClass 20/3 locomotives.[6]
Prior to 1998, DRS's nuclear haulage activities were exclusively related to the transporting ofnuclear fuel rods from overseas to Sellafield for processing. During 1998, DRS took over the movement of fuel rods from variousnuclear power stations across Britain, such asHeysham,Valley (for Wylfa),Bridgwater (for Hinkley Point),Berkeley (for Oldbury),Hunterston,Torness,Seaton Carew,Dungeness andSizewell.[7]
During 1997, DRS began to diversify into the haulage of other traffic, having secured a contract to operate milk traffic fromPenrith toCricklewood.[8][9] In 2002, it commenced runningintermodal freight trains fromGrangemouth to theDaventry International Rail Freight Terminal usingClass 66/4 locomotives; it carries containers for both theMalcolm Group andAsda. In May 2020, DRS announced it had launched a new electrified freight route between the Daventry Freight Terminal and Mossend Yard, outsideGlasgow.[10]
The ownership of DRS was transferred from BNFL to theNuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), following the creation of the NDA on 1 April 2005 under the terms of theEnergy Act 2004.[11][5] Since April 2021, DRS, as well as its sibling NDA subsidiaries Pacific Nuclear Transport Limited (PNTL) andInternational Nuclear Services (INS), have been operated by a newly created NDA division,Nuclear Transport Solutions (NTS).[3][5]
During 2006, DRS started a new service, theTesco Express, on behalf of theEddie Stobart Group in partnership withTesco, the UK's largest food retailer, to move containers from Daventry north toMossend andInverness using a new dedicated low-emission Class 66 locomotive in Eddie Stobart livery, 66411Eddie the Engine. A daily service from Grangemouth to Inverness followed in 2009, with another Class 66 in a promotional livery, this time 66414James the Engine. The Daventry – Scotland Stobart contract transferred toDB Schenker in January 2010, along with the onward daily service to Inverness, though this reverted to DRS operation in summer 2011.[12][13] In January 2022, DRS and Tesco signed a three-year extension deal; by this point, the company was transporting roughly 12,000 containers for Tesco per month.[14]
As of 2021, DRS has stated its intention to grow its presence in the rail freight sector, particular inScotland.[15]
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In 2007, sevenMark 3 carriages fromVirgin Trains were refurbished at theOxley depot.[16][17][18] The following year saw the coaches used to operatecharter services under theStobart Rail banner,[19][20] however, the Stobart Rail operation ceased in July 2008.[21]
In June 2009, DRS commenced operatingrescue locomotive duties on theGreat Eastern Main Line for the train operatorNational Express East Anglia, as well as haulingClass 90 electric locomotives fromNorwich toGreat Yarmouth on summer Saturdays.[22][23] This included Summer SaturdayWherry Lines services. DRS have periodically operated services on theWherry Lines during periods of diesel multiple unit shortage. During October 2014, it commenced operating a two-year contract to operate services on the Wherry Lines under contract toAbellio Greater Anglia.[24] It was operated by top and tailed Class 47s hauling Mark 2s, top and tail Class 37s were introduced in mid-2015.
Between 30 November 2009 and 28 May 2010, DRS ran a service on theCumbrian Coast Line betweenMaryport andWorkington following a road bridge being destroyed by floods.[25] The trains were made up ofClass 37s,Class 47s andClass 57s top and tailing DRS' Mark 3 carriages.
During April 2011, DRS commenced a five-year contract under which it providedClass 47 locomotives to haul theNorthern Belle, a luxury passenger train.[26][27] By 2013, the company was operating 140 passenger charters annually, roughly 100 of which were for the Northern Belle.[28] By April 2018, the train was being hauled byClass 57s operated byWest Coast Railways, the owner of the Northern Belle, instead.[29]
On 9 January 2012, a trial service was introduced for six weeks by the NDA for its workers, with DRS supplying a Class 37 to haul fourMark 2 carriages betweenCarlisle andSellafield.[30][31][32] Although the trial was reported to have been a success, plans to introduce regular services from December 2012 did not materialise until May 2015. To operate these services, DRS purchased a fleet of Mark 2 carriages and had these overhauled atEastleigh Works.[33][34][35] In May 2015, the company started to operate some services on the Cumbrian Coast Line under contract toNorthern Rail (laterArriva Rail North) using top and tail Class 37s which hauled Mark 2 coaches.[36] On 27 July 2015, one of the Class 37s was replaced by aDBSO, with the other replaced at a later date.[37] On 29 January 2018, one set was made to be Top and Tail Class 68s, while the other stayed a Class 37 and DBSO. On 21 May 2018, there was only one set out, which was the Top and Tail Class 68s only running between Carlisle and Barrow-in-Furness. This service was ultimately replaced byClass 156 Diesel Multiple Units (transferred fromScotRail) on 28 December 2018, with special commemorative 'farewell' service being run for charity on 11 January 2019.[38][39]
In June 2014, it was announced thatChiltern Railways had signed a contract with DRS for the latter to provide six of itsClass 68 locomotives to haul express passenger services, replacingClass 67s hired from DBS.[40] On 15 December 2014, the first of DRS-hauled Chiltern service departedMarylebone station; Chiltern noted that the Class 68s will be capable of hauling extended trains in the future.[41] In addition to the locomotives themselves, DRS provided commissioning and maintenance services.[42]
Direct Rail Services initially operated from a base at the nuclear reprocessing plant in Sellafield, but in 1998 moved intoCarlisle Kingmoor depot which had been disused since 1987.[43][44]A second depot was opened atCrewe Gresty Bridge in March 2007. This is on the site of a former wagon works.[45][46] It also operates theMotherwell depot, where it carries out inspection work and re-fuelling.[47]
The initial fleet of locomotives were fiveClass 20/3s which were overhauled atBrush Traction,Loughborough for their new duties.[6]
In 1997, sixClass 37/6s were purchased from international high speed passenger operatorEurostar.[48][49] DRS would later build up an extensive fleet ofClass 37 and47 locomotives from various sources. In 2001, a number ofClass 33s were purchased.[50] During 2004, threeClass 87s were trialed, but returned to their leasing company after six months.[51][52] During 2008, DRS initiated efforts to acquireClass 57 locomotives; by 2013, it operated nine formerFreightliner 57/0s as well as 12 formerVirgin Trains 57/3s.[53][54]
On 12 September 2013, it was announced that DRS would be the launch customer for the newVossloh Euro Dual dual-mode freight locomotive byVossloh España. These would becomeClass 88.[55][56] DRS took delivery of the first of 15 newClass 68s in February 2014; these are diesel-only versions of the Class 88s which would arrive later.[57] During October 2014, a further ten were ordered followed by another seven in July 2015.[58][59] In April 2015, two Class 68s commenced operatingFife Circle Line services forAbellio ScotRail. A further batch of six Class 68s (68020–68025) were delivered by on 5 April 2016.
On 8 January 2016, DRS announced it would sell 12 of its older locomotives, including oneClass 20 locomotive (20312), six Class 37 locomotives (37503/510/521/608/611/670) and five Class 47 locomotives (47810/13/18/28/53) along with two of itsMark 2 coaches.[60] By January 2022, the company was in the process of disposing of older rolling stock, such as Class 20s, Class 37s, Class 57s, and Mark 2 coaches, along with associated spare parts and other elements; this was reportedly one part of a wider fleet modernisation effort.[61][62]
66301-66305 left DRS forGBRf at the end of 2022, as DRS restructured its fleet.[63]
| Class | Image | Type | Built | Number | Wheel Arr | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class 57/3 | .jpg) | Diesel locomotive | 1998-04 | 5 | Co-Co | Originally a fleet of 21 locomotives converted fromClass 47s. Only 4 are operational with DRS as of 2024.
|
| Class 66/0,& 66/4 |  | 2002-08 | 19 | Originally a fleet of 39 locomotives. Only 19 are in use with DRS as of 2024. | ||
| Class 68/0 | 
| 2013-17 | 20 | Bo-Bo | Originally a fleet of 34 locomotives. 20 are operational as of 2024.
| |
| Class 88/0 |  | Bi-mode locomotive | 2015 | 10 |
| Class | Image | Type | Built | Number | Wheel Arr | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class 20/3, 20/9 |  | Diesel locomotive | 1957-1962, 1965-1968 | 21 | Bo-Bo | Fleet of 21 locomotives. All were withdrawn between 2004 and 2016.
|
| Class 33/0, 33/2, 33/3 Minimodal |  | 1960-62 | 5 | Fleet of 5 locomotives. All withdrawn in September 2005.
| ||
| Class 37/0, 37/4, & 37/7 |  | 1960-65 | 20 | Co-Co | Fleet of 20 locomotives. All were withdrawn between 2016 and 2024.
| |
| Class 47/5, 47/7 & 47/8 |  | 1962-1968 | 16 | Fleet of 16 locomotives. All were withdrawn between 2012 and 2018.
| ||
| Class 57/0 & 57/3 |  | 1998-2004 | 16 |
| ||
| Class 66/4 | | 2002-2008 | 20 |
| ||
| Class 68/0 |  | 2013-2017 | 14 | Bo-Bo | 14 returned to Beacon Rail Leasing after use withTransPennine Express. | |
| Class 87 |  | Electric locomotive | 1973-1975 | 3 | 3 were trialled during 2004 for three months before being returned to their leasing company. | |
| Class 90 | | Electric locomotive | 1987-1990 | 1 | 1 was leased fromDB Cargo UK for use withVirgin Trains for their "Pretendolino" train before being returned. |
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