Direct Rail Services

Direct Rail Services Ltd

Founded	1995
Headquarters	Carlisle, United Kingdom
Area served	United Kingdom
Services	Freight transportation
Parent	1995-2005: BNFL 2005 onwards: NDA
Website	www.directrailservices.com

DRS Class 66 locomotive 66412, in 'Compass' livery at Castleton. This loco was later given to Malcolm Rail and reliveried

DRS Class 37/0 no. 37038 at Crewe Works on 1 June 2003.

A Stobart Pullman liveried rake of coaches, headed by a DRS liveried Class 47 locomotive number 47712 Pride of Carlisle

DRS Class 37 no. 37607 and Rail Head Treatment Train at Dereham, Mid-Norfolk Railway (2008)

Direct Rail Services (DRS) is a freight operating company created by British Nuclear Fuels Limited. The company started rail operations in 1995 using five heavily refurbished Class 20/3 diesel locomotives. Since then it has expanded greatly, and has acquired many more locomotives, most bought second-hand and subsequently refurbished. Ownership of DRS was transferred from BNFL to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority when the NDA was created on 1 April 2005, under the terms of the Energy Act 2004. DRS is the only remaining publicly owned rail freight company in the United Kingdom.

Operations

Nuclear flask trains

DRS now operates all nuclear flask trains in Britain which were previously operated by EWS. Destinations served include the UK nuclear power stations at Heysham, Valley (for Wylfa), Bridgwater (for Hinkley Point), Berkeley (for Oldbury), Hunterston, Torness, Seaton-on-Tees, Dungeness and Sizewell.

The company formerly operated trains to the railhead at Southminster for fuel from Bradwell nuclear power station, however this installation is now in the process of being decommissioned. They also run occasional trains from Ramsden Dock at Barrow-in-Furness to the processing plant at Sellafield, carrying nuclear waste from nuclear power stations in Japan and the Netherlands for treatment. DRS also have a contract to supply the Royal Navy's Devonport Dockyard with fuel for Britain's nuclear submarine fleet. These trains only run as required. There is also a train from Hull to Sellafield which reprocesses Russian spent fuel.

Intermodal freight trains

The company commenced running intermodal trains from Grangemouth to the Daventry International Railfreight Terminal in 2002, now using Class 66 locomotives, for The Malcolm Group logistics compan), carrying containers for both The Malcolm Group and Asda, and in 2006 commenced a new service on behalf of Eddie Stobart in partnership with Tesco, (the UK's largest food retailer) to move containers from Daventry north to Mossend and Inverness using a new dedicated low-emission Class 66 locomotive in Eddie Stobart livery. The Daventry - Scotland "Stobart" contract transferred to DB Schenker in January 2010, along with the onward daily service to Inverness, though this reverted to DRS operation in summer 2011. DRS also operate intermodal trains on behalf of JG Russell, another logistics company, between Daventry and their marshalling yard at Coatbridge, in addition to a daily service from Coatbridge to Elderslie. There is a "sugarliner" train running from Tilbury and Barking to Daventry, also run by DRS for Russells. For the first half of 2008, DRS also operated the Stobart Pullman railtour trains, using Class 47 locomotives.

Other trains

DRS has also won traffic from other railfreight operators recently, taking over the Russell container trains previously run by EWS and also the right to operate some Network Rail sandite trains during the leaf fall season, currently in the vicinity of Stowmarket and Carlisle. Currently, Direct Rail Services also lease several Class 66s to Freightliner while they address a lack of motive power after winning contracts from DB Schenker. DRS also supply either 37409 or 37423 for use with Network Rail's inspection saloon, as part of a lucrative contract with Network Rail's NDS.

After flooding in West Cumbria in November 2009, DRS provided two locomotives and four coaches as a free-of-charge shuttle service between Workington and Maryport, calling at the new station at Workington North and Flimby en route. This service was funded by the Department for Transport and continued running for six months, until 28 May 2010.

Locomotives

Depots

Carlisle, Kingmoor

Its locomotive fleet is based at Kingmoor depot in Carlisle, which reopened during 2000. Most repairs to the fleet are conducted here and it has been the site of successful open days in 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2011.

Sellafield BNFL

Prior to the reopening of Kingmoor depot, DRS used facilities on-site at Sellafield nuclear plant in Cumbria, however these are now no longer used and several sidings inside the British Nuclear Group's compound are used as a stabling point for locomotives.

Crewe, Gresty Bridge

A new depot at Crewe Gresty Bridge was opened by Gwyneth Dunwoody, MP for Crewe and Nantwich on 23 March 2007.

East Anglia

Facilities for loco servicing in East Anglia are concentrated at Stowmarket, with a small stabling point at Marsh Lane. This is mainly used during the Autumn leaf-cleaning Sandite season, although locomotives can sometimes be found there at other times of the year, such as when working stoneblowers and other maintenance vehicles between Ashford and the Mid-Norfolk Railway at Dereham.

York

Throughout the year, locomotives may be stabled in the Parcels Sidings at York railway station, in order to work wagons between Haverton Hill repair depot and Carlisle Kingmoor.

Thunderbird duties

Since 15 June 2009, DRS has been the supplier of Class 47 locomotives to National Express East Anglia at Norwich Crown Point depot for Thunderbird duties on the Great Eastern Main Line, as well as for hauling Class 90 electric locomotives from Norwich to Great Yarmouth on summer Saturdays. This work was previously undertaken by Cotswold Rail.

Fleet details

Reference: Railfaneurope.net ^[1]

Class	Image	Fleet Size	Wheel Arr	Numbers	Notes
Class 20		13	Bo-Bo	20301-20310, 20312-20313, 20315	20303, 20308-9 in traffic. 20301-2, 304-5 on hire to GB Railfreight for London Underground stock moves. 20307, 310, 312-13 stored awaiting a return to traffic. 20306, 315 stored as spares donors.
Class 37		44	Co-Co	37038, 059, 069, 087, 194, 197, 218, 229, 259, 261, 401-402, 405-406, 409-412, 416-417, 419, 422-427, 510, 601-612, 667, 682, 683, 688	37038, 059, 069, 087, 194, 218, 229, 261, 409, 423, 510, 601-4, 606-8, 610-12, 667, 682, 688 in traffic. 37259 under overhaul. 37197, 401-2, 405-6, 410-12, 416-17, 419, 422, 425-7, 605, 609, 683 stored awaiting assessment or overhaul.
Class 47		16	Co-Co	47501, 709, 712, 747, 790-791, 802, 805, 810, 813, 818, 828, 832, 839, 841, 853	47501, 790, 802, 810, 818, 828, 832 & 841 in traffic. 47712, 709, 791, 805, 813, 839 & 853 under repair or overhaul. 47747 stored as spares donors.
Class 57		9	Co-Co	57002-57004, 57007-57012	57003-004, 007-011 in traffic. 57002, 012 under repair.
Class 66		19	Co-Co	66301-305, 421-434	66301-305, 421-434 in traffic.

References

1. ^ http://www.railfaneurope.net/list/uk/uk_drs.html