Category: News

GB Railfreight (GBRf), one of the largest rail freight operators in the UK, has officially begun a new service from Portbury to Acton, in partnership with AI.

Responding at short notice, there was the requirement for the GBRf team to immediately start working to learn the new route, familiarise themselves with the new site, and prepare for the smooth operation of the first few services.

These services, which began at the end of January, will move 90,000 tonnes of aggregate, which amounts to approximately 60 trains and considerations are being given to further shipments.

The agile establishment of this service is further proof of the excellent service GBRf provides and builds on existing supply routes and flows of aggregates the transport company already run for AI.

John Smith, Managing Director of GB Railfreight, said:

“We were absolutely delighted to be approached by AI to run this service. We have a longstanding relationship with them and they are a valued partner for us. I would also like to congratulate the GBRf team for the smooth running of this service last month.

“We are also pleased to have secured this traffic because it reinforces what we already know – that GB Railfreight is one of the most trusted transport operators in the UK and one you can rely on to turn around work in a short space of time. I couldn’t be prouder of the team we have here at GBRf.”

Simon Blake, General Manger – Rail of Aggregate Industries, said:

“We are delighted to have been able to work so quickly with support from GBRf to convert a window of opportunity, to a practical and commercially sound reality. This new source of material will further support the Aggregate Industries offer for both sustainable delivery and surety of supply for construction materials to the South East market.”

GB Railfreight (GBRf) is delighted to announce that it has signed a five-year deal with GRS Rail Services, a joint venture between Tarmac and aggregates trading company GRS , in an extension to its existing contract.

The new GRS Rail Services contract builds on a partnership between the two businesses that begun in 2016, primarily supplying rail haulage services between the UK’s largest granite quarry, Mountsorrel Quarry in Leicestershire, operated by Tarmac, and a major aggregates supply depot at Wellingborough, Northamptonshire operated by GRS. The Wellingborough depot was developed between Network Rail, GB Railfreight, Tarmac and GRS to support major infrastructure projects such as the redevelopment of the A14 in Cambridgeshire, one of the country’s biggest highways schemes in recent years.

Over the course of the last five years, the contract has evolved to serve new supply points, such as Swinden Quarry, North Yorkshire, and Tunstead Quarry, Derbyshire, and feed new railheads in Luton and Northampton. GBRf and GRS Rail Services have also moved over 1.8 million tonnes of aggregates across the UK to support the construction industry and prevented almost 100,000 lorry loads from using our roads. The announcement today of this contract renewal signals the resilience of a longstanding and fruitful relationship between GBRf and GRS.

This partnership will allow for the operation of services from the Peak District to terminals at Wellingborough, Luton, Northampton and Peterborough, as well as the redevelopment of Wellingborough Aggregates Depot.

John Smith, Managing Director at GB Railfreight, said:

“I am absolutely delighted to be unveiling this contract extension with GRS Rail Services. We have worked with GRS for a number of years and our partnership has been fruitful from the very start.

“Given the uncertain economic picture we are facing at this time, it is more important than ever to continue with the work we have done so successfully throughout 2020 and today’s contract extension will ensure we keep the economy moving in the right direction as we emerge from the pandemic.”

Jon Fisher, Chief Executive at GRS said:

“Our partnership with GB Railfreight has gone from strength to strength, allowing us to meet the construction industry’s demand for aggregates with the lowest possible carbon footprint and in the most efficient way possible.

Rail freight produces a fraction of the carbon and particulate emissions of road haulage, and although lorries are still needed for local distribution, thanks to GB Railfreight we can cover most of the journey from aggregates source quarries to construction site by rail. We’re looking forward to developing our partnership over the years ahead.”

GB Railfreight (GBRf), one of the largest rail freight operators in the UK, is delighted to announce a landmark cooperation with Bayer Environmental Science, Network Rail, and a number of start-up companies, which will transform essential weed control maintenance on the UK’s railways.

Introducing innovative technology, three new Smart Weed System trains will commence service on the British railway network later this spring. They will have the capability to eliminate potentially dangerous weed infestations with advanced precision. Responsible for supplying the end-to-end rail operations, GB Railfreight will provide rail expertise for this project.

By detecting the weeds using cameras mounted on the trains, only the most appropriate herbicide will be use, thus improving the environmental footprint. The data generated will be uploaded to a cloud database using GPS software, which will enable weed control to be monitored and reported 24/7 from a central point.

This innovative GPS tracking system will also automatically shut off spray nozzles when the train approaches a ‘Non-Treatment Zone’, such as a watercourse or bridge, a move which further enhances the environmental impact by adding a second layer of protection for the operators.

Mark Wyborn, Head of Strategic Development at GB Railfreight, said:

“The higher efficiency of the three new trains combined with the modern technology and asset life will provide a more efficient weed control program for years to come. Aiming for a safer rail industry for all should be a priority. This investment from Bayer into the collaboration will bring a new level of scientific expertise and knowledge to the rail industry and will help to drive forward weed control and safety for future years. The first train will be introduced and in service on UK railways from May 2021, with the second and third train planned for use in April 2022.”

Commenting on how the partnership will increase the safety of the railways, Alan Morris, Bayer Environmental Science UK country head said:

“Weeds can cause contamination of valuable equipment and lead to a range of health and safety issues for both workers and passengers. This technology is not only an innovation for the rail industry but weed control globally, so we’re delighted to be involved in this collaboration with key members of the rail industry.”

GB Railfreight are delighted to announce the start of an additional intermodal service, which began on 18 November.

The service, which operates to the Port of Liverpool from the East Midlands is in partnership with Mediterranean Shipping Company (UK) Ltd and will run five times a week.

Despite the economic turmoil brought about by COVID-19, GBRf have successfully continued making inroads into the Intermodal market with this being GBRf’s 21^st Intermodal service to date. It also shows the resilience and flexibility of the GBRf business model which is built on robust relationships even in times of uncertainty.

In addition, with climate change front and centre of the political agenda, this announcement is further proof of GBRf’s commitment to moving more and more goods in a sustainable way. This is because GBRf are committed to increasing the amount of goods and materials transported via rail freight, reducing emissions and delivering a more sustainable logistics solution.

John Smith, Managing Director of GB Railfreight, said:

“We are delighted to have begun services between the East Midlands and the Port of Liverpool.  Despite the economic challenges we all face, GB Railfreight continues to grow as a business, and we are showing ourselves to be leaders in the field of innovation and a customer delivery. I couldn’t be prouder to unveil our newest intermodal service – proof we are the industry’s most trusted intermodal carrier.

“I cannot thank MSC enough for allowing us to establish and launch a new service for them. We look forward to developing this partnership even further in the months and years ahead.

“GBRf prides itself on being supportive and committed to long standing and inspiring partnerships. We like to be challenged.  We are delighted to be working with our customer MSC, Peel Ports and Maritime Transport in delivering a new intermodal service into the Port of Liverpool- one which will see 20,000 lorry journeys off our roads.”

Jonathan Burke, Operations Director at MSC UK said:

“We are very pleased to announce that, together with our partners, we have launched the first daily intermodal rail connection between the Port of Liverpool and the East Midlands. This new service enhances our nationwide port and intermodal network, further strengthening the breadth of our offering to clients whilst helping to reduce carbon emissions.”

GB Railfreight (GBRf) are very pleased to announce an extension to their European freight operation in partnership with LINEAS, the largest private rail freight operator in Europe.

The existing traffic flow from Antwerp through to Irvine will continue for an additional two years. This announcement marks the extension of the existing contract which will now run until the end of December 2021, marking a 5-year relationship with LINEAS for this ‘hook and haul’ flow. The service has so far averaged around 30 trains a year and will continue to run approximately between two and three times per month.

The trains, which arrive in Calais from the LINEAS Rail operation, will consist of roughly 20 ICA Tank Rail Wagons and will carry 1200 tonnes of product per train. It will be transporting kaolin clay for the process of whitening paper which is produced at the UPM Caledonian Papermill in South Western Scotland.

GBRf will normally collect the product on a Tuesday night, run through the channel tunnel with Electric Traction. A Class 66 Loco then hauls through to UPM Irvine to arrive at around 7pm on the Wednesday night. Following unloading, GBRf return the empty set of wagons back to the Channel Tunnel by Friday night for a path back to Calais.

GBRf are currently operating intermodal services to and from the three largest ports in the UK. The Antwerp to Irvine operation builds on the company’s existing Intermodal services which is currently being managed by Julie Garn. This follows other European Traffic flows that GBRf have operated in the past.

John Smith, Managing Director of GB Railfreight, said:

“I am delighted to announce that we are continuing our partnership with Lineas. Our strong relationship goes back many years and we are pleased to continue it until December 2021. This service will be the longest term of operation for running services through the Channel Tunnel for GBRf, something we are extremely proud of.

“In addition, the shift to rail freight is a vital part of decarbonising our transport system. Our partnership with LINEAS shows our commitment to doing our part to reach the ambitious target of net zero emissions by 2050 and we hope to build on this going forward.”

Geraldine Leyman, Senior Key Account Manager at LINEAS added:

“We are extremely pleased to have extended this contract. Our relationship with GB Railfreight is one we are extremely proud of and is the greatest example of the importance of cross-border cooperation.

“We couldn’t be happier with the service GBRf provide on the UK side and this contract extension is proof of that. We look forward to continuing this successful partnership in the years ahead.”

GBRf is pleased to announce an agreement to bring an additional five Class 66 locomotives from Germany in cooperation with Beacon Rail Leasing.

The first two, classified as 29004/29005 have been delivered to EMD Doncaster ready for conversion to GBRf’s specification and UK railway standards. The remaining three locomotives will be delivered throughout 2021.

The first two locomotives are low-geared heavy haul 60mph locos which will benefit GBRf’s heavy-haul capability, while the remaining three are 75mph locomotives.

The locos will be delivered into GBRf service commencing early April 2021 with the programme of conversions being undertaken by EMD at their Doncaster and Longport facilities, this will include the fitting of air conditioning, sound proofing, cab improvements, and new cab double glazing. In addition, the locos will be fitted with the most up to date GSMR and TPWS safety systems and be painted in GBRf livery. Once in service they will become GBRf 66 793-797 locos.

Today’s announcement reinforces GB Railfreight’s status as one of the fastest growing and most exciting transport companies in the UK. The locos will provide additional capacity to build on GBRf’s long track record of successful delivery for its customers

John Smith, Managing Director of GB Railfreight, said:

“Today’s announcement is another important milestone for GB Railfreight’s continued expansion as a company. We are delighted to be bringing these five locomotives to the UK and adding them to GB Railfreight’s Class 66 fleet.

“This agreement also shows that despite the economic uncertainty our country faces, GBRf leads the way with continued investment to put the UK economy back on track. We look to the future with optimism.”

Adam Cunliffe, CEO of Beacon Rail, said:

“Beacon Rail is delighted to be supporting GB Railfreight with these latest additions and further expanding the long-term relationship between our two companies. The class 66 is a proven performer, being the backbone for the movement of essential goods over recent months.  Beacon is committed to further growth of the UK rail freight market through the introduction of these additional locomotives.”