The Railway Magazine – July 2019

90 •The Railway Magazine• July 2019

FTA predicts

‘testing times’

for rail freight
FREIGHTTransport Association
(FTA), the trade body
representing logistics and
freight companies across
all modes, is predicting
challenging times ahead for UK
rail freight.
Domestic bulk and semi-bulk
rail freight grew beyond all
expectations in 2018, but the
FTA’s 2019 Logistics Report
suggests uncertainty surrounding
Brexit, lower than expected
manufacturing growth, and the
possibility of a global economic
slowdown.
Elizabeth de Jong, director
of UK Policy at FTA, said:“While
2018 saw a notable growth in
domestic bulk and semi-bulk
rail freight – possibly due to the
expansion of the construction
sector – sentiment for 2019 is
much more subdued, indicating
we are entering more challenging
times.”
The survey of more than 500
freight and logistics businesses
anticipates a substantial decrease
in domestic intermodal activity.
Internationally, bulk and semi-
bulk rail freight declined in 2018,
with no change predicted in 2019.

iPort gains third train with Felixstowe operation

THE rail-served Doncaster iPort
freight terminal gained a third
intermodal service from May 20
with the introduction of a weekday

return train to Felixstowe.The GB

Railfreight-operated trains run

five days per week.They have

joined routes to Southampton

introduced in September 2018,

and more recently,Teesport. GBRf

operates a third of all intermodal

services from Felixstowe.

Genesee & Wyoming opens

newofficeinBirmingham

FREIGHTLINER’S parentgroup

Genesee &Wyoming Inc

(G&W) opened a new office in

Birmingham on June 4.

Following the acquisition of

Freightliner in 2015/16, the office

houses G&W’s UK shared service

centre, finance procurement teams

and technology teams, training

and conference facilities.

Freight Track Record

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GBRf unveils ‘Cemex

Express’ Class 66

GB RAILFREIGHT unveiled a

Class 66 in the house colours of

CEMEX on June 13, cementing

its links with one of the world’s

largest suppliers of building

materials.

No. 66780 is the latest in a

series of GBRf locomotives to

be decorated in the colours of

major freight customers, and

has also been namedThe Cemex

Express.The‘plates were unveiled

by record producer and rail

enthusiast PeteWaterman at

Dove Holes Quarry, near Buxton,

marking a year of co-operation

between the two companies.

GBRf hauls several trains of

aggregates per week from Dove

Holes for readymix and asphalt

plants, mainly in the south-east

of England, but also to terminals

in Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds,

Sheffield and Birmingham.

Trains can load to around 2,000

tonnes, with CEMEX moving

around 2.6million tonnes of

material every year by rail.

John Smith, managing director

of GBRf, said:“We are delighted

to unveil this Class 66 locomotive

in CEMEX livery, representing

our two organisations’ongoing

partnership.

“This contract is demonstrative

of the role rail freight has to play

in helping the UK to cut carbon

emissions and to improve air

quality.”

David Hart, CEMEX’s supply

chain director for UK & France,

added:“The transport of our

product by rail is of

ever-increasing importance

to CEMEX as we look to make

our operations as sustainable

Right: GBRf No. 66741Swanage Railway

hauls No. 66790 past North Stafford Junction

on June 3, moving the newly imported

locomotive from Immingham Mineral Quay

to Longport for modification to UK standards.

STEVE DONALD

as possible. Rail is a far more

environmentally friendly method

of transport than trucks on the

road.

“We are very proud of our

partnership with GBRf and hope

that together we will be able

to transport more and more by

rail safely whilst reducing the

number of truck movements.”

No. 66780 is one of 10 Class 66s

bought from DB Cargo in 2017,

and was formerly No. 66008.

GBRf’s‘66’fleet is growing

once again with the acquisition

of three more locomotives from

Sweden. Beacon Rail Leasing

Nos.T66 403-405 are being

prepared in Gothenburg before

being imported via Immingham.

No.T66 403 arrived in the UK

in early June and was hauled by

No. 66741Swanage Railwayto

EMD Longport for the installation

of UK safety and signalling

systems, air conditioning and

reliability improvements,

before joining the GBRf fleet as

No. 66790.

The two other locomotives,

expected to follow shortly, will

become Nos. 66791/792.

GBRf operates five other former

European Class 66s – Nos. 66747-

751 – imported from the

Netherlands in 2012/13.

Freightliner ‘66’ in the pink

FREIGHTLINER’S No. 66587

became one of the most

instantly recognisable

locomotives on the network in

June after it gained a striking

new magenta and white livery.

The‘66’has been re-liveried

and was namedAS ONE, WE

CANat Southampton Maritime

Terminal on June 11 to mark

the freight operator’s new

contract with Japanese shipping

company Ocean Network

Express (ONE).

Three days later, No. 66587

passes Ely with a Birmingham

Lawley Street to Felixstowe

intermodal train.PETER FOSTER

Hope Works celebrates 90 years

MOREthan 2,000 people visited
Breedon Group’s cement works at
Hope, in Derbyshire, as the UK’s
largest cement plant celebrated
90 years of operation.
June 1 open day attractions at
the Peak District plant included
0-6-0T industrialNunlow,
returning to its former home, and
LNWR‘CoalTank’No. 1054, as well
as the resident ex-BR Class 20s
that shuttle cement tanks over
the two-mile branch between
the plant and Earles Sidings, on
the Sheffield to Manchester Hope
Valley route.
The works have been a major
customer for the railway since
it opened in 1929, and is now
served by Freightliner, which has a
crew depot at Earles Sidings.
The plant produces more than
1.3m tonnes of cement per year,
most of which is distributed by rail.

Hope Cement Works in Derbyshire celebrated its 90th anniversary

on June 1. HNRC-owned Class 20s Nos. 3 and 82 (formerly

Nos. 20906 and 20066, respectively) shunt cement tanks during

the open day.ROBERT FALCONER

Above and top: GB Railfreight has reliveried

No. 66780 in CEMEX, marking a successful first

year of its contract to haul building materials

from Dove Holes Quarry in Derbyshire. It was

namedThe Cemex Expressby Pete Waterman

on June 13. STEVE BELL/GB RAILFREIGHT