Direct Rail Services

History

The haulage of nuclear flask traffic had been handled by British Rail until British Nuclear Fuels Limited decided to bring this operation in house in 1994. Up until 1998, it had only moved nuclear fuel rods from overseas for processing at Sellafield. It then took over the movement of rods from UK nuclear power stations at Heysham, Valley (for Wylfa), Bridgwater (for Hinkley Point), Berkeley (for Oldbury), Hunterston, Torness, Seaton Carew, Dungeness and Sizewell.

It first diversified into other traffic in 1997 when it started operating milk traffic from Penrith to Cricklewood. In 2002, it commenced running intermodal trains from Grangemouth to the Daventry International Railfreight Terminal using Class 66/4s. It carries containers for both The Malcolm Group and Asda.

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.

In 2006 DRS started a new service, the Tesco Express, 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, 66411 Eddie the Engine. A daily service from Grangemouth to Inverness followed in 2009, with another Class 66 in a promotional livery, this time 66414 James the Engine. 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.

Passenger services

In 2007, seven refurbished former Virgin Trains Mark 3 carriages were refurbished at Oxley depot. The following year saw the coaches used to operate charter services under the Stobart Rail banner but the Stobart Rail operation ceased in July 2008.

In June 2009, DRS commenced operating rescue locomotive duties on the Great Eastern Main Line for National Express East Anglia as well as hauling Class 90 electric locomotives from Norwich to Great Yarmouth on summer Saturdays. This included Summer Saturday Wherry Lines services. DRS have periodically operated services on the Wherry Lines during periods of diesel multiple unit shortage. In October 2014, it commenced operating a two-year contract to operate services on the Wherry Lines under contract to Abellio Greater Anglia. It was operated by top and tailed Class 47s hauling Mark 2s, top and tail Class 37s were introduced in mid-2015.

From 30 November 2009 until 28 May 2010 DRS ran a service on the Cumbrian Coast Line between Maryport and Workington following a road bridge being destroyed by floods. The trains were made up of Class 37s, Class 47s and Class 57s top and tailing DRS' Mark 3 carriages.

DRS commenced a five-year contract in April 2011 which provided motive power for the Northern Belle.

On 9 January 2012 a trial service was introduced for six weeks by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority for its workers with DRS supplying a Class 37 to haul four Mark 2 carriages between Carlisle and Sellafield. 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 2s and had these overhauled at Eastleigh Works. In May 2015 the company started to operate some services on the Cumbrian Coast Line under contract to Northern Rail using top and tail Class 37s hauling Mark 2 coaches. On 27 July 2015, one of the Class 37s was replaced by a DBSO.

Depots

Direct Rail Services initially operated from a base at the nuclear reprocessing plant in Sellafield, but in 1998 moved into Carlisle Kingmoor depot which had been disused since 1987.

A second depot was opened at Crewe Gresty Bridge in March 2007. This is on the site of disused wagon works.

Fleet

The initial fleet of locomotives were five Class 20/3s which were overhauled at Brush Traction, Loughborough for their new duties.

In 1997, six Class 37/6s were purchased from Eurostar. DRS would later build up an extensive fleet of Class 37 and 47s. In 2001 some Class 33s were purchased. In 2004, three Class 87s were trialed but returned to their leasing company after six months. DRS began to acquire Class 57s from 2008. It now operates nine former Freightliner 57/0s and 12 former Virgin Trains 57/3s.

On 12 September 2013, it was announced that DRS would be the launch customer for the new Vossloh Euro Dual dual-mode freight locomotive by Vossloh España. these would become Class 88. DRS took delivery of the first of 15 new Class 68s in February 2014. These are diesel-only versions of the Class 88s which would arrive later. In October 2014, a further ten were ordered followed by another seven in July 2015. From December 2014, six commenced operating services for Chiltern Railways. In April 2015, two Class 68s commenced operating Fife Circle Line services for Abellio ScotRail. A further batch of six Class 68s (68020-25) were delivered by on 5 April 2016.

It was announced on 8 January 2016 that DRS would sell 12 locomotives, one Class 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 Mark 2 coaches.

Current fleet

Direct Rail Services currently operate a total of 107 locomotives.

Future fleet

Direct Rail Services is due to receive a further 17 locomotives. 88001-10 will be delivered from the second half of 2016, followed by 68026-32.