BRITISH private freight operator Direct Rail Services (DRS) has launched a domestic wagonload service, initially for a two-month trial period. It is running trains six days a week between Daventry, in the Midlands, and Coatbridge in Scotland.
The intermodal service is operated by class 88 locomotives along the 483km route, which is electrified throughout, and runs daily Sunday to Friday, with capacity for up to 30 containers. The trains will operate until the end of the year, with the service likely to be continued if there is sufficient demand from freight carriers. DRS already runs three other daily Anglo-Scottish freight trains for trainload customers.
“This new service is a fantastic opportunity for those who have considered rail but are yet to make the switch from road,” says Gottfried Eymer, managing director for rail at DRS’ parent company Nuclear Transport Solutions (NTS).
“The unique feature of this train is that it is made up of goods from multiple customers, making it ideal for businesses that would like to benefit from rail but lack the volumes to justify their own train,” Eymer says.
