Author: LukeBGB

GBRf & MSC UK drive sustainability with new 5-year rail deal

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GBRf & MSC UK drive sustainability with new 5-year rail deal

GB Railfreight (GBRf) and Mediterranean Shipping Company (UK) Ltd. (MSC) are delighted to announce a new five-year deal, further strengthening their long-established relationship and joint commitment to delivering sustainable solutions for customers.

GBRf has been a provider of rail services to MSC since 2002. Their knowledge and expertise in supplying locomotives and wagons combined with MSC’s extensive line haulage services enables the two companies to deliver market leading door-to-door services to their customers.

The new agreement will be volume-based and is expected to increase wagon utilisation that in turn will help further reduce carbon emissions.

MSC commented:

“MSC is once again delighted to confirm a new five year deal with GBRf who have been supporting MSC with our Intermodal rail services since 2002. Our priority was to continue to offer unparalleled capability and flexibility to our line haulage customers in a fast paced and ever evolving UK intermodal market. Increased wagon utilisation was a key component from the start and engagement with ports and inland terminals to support this initiative took place early on.

We are delighted that our new shared contract will allow both MSC and GBRf to continue our work in taking steps to reduce CO2 emissions by moving containers via rail, closer to final destination.”

 The services will operate from Felixstowe and London Gateway to both the Midlands and Yorkshire , with a minimum commitment of 5 days a week. Over the course of the next five years, the deal will remain agile and be able to provide flexibility to changing market dynamics while supporting MSC’s intermodal volume growth.

John Smith, Managing Director at GB Railfreight, said:

“We are thrilled to have signed this contract with MSC. They are a longstanding partner and one of the leading shipping and logistics companies in the world, and we are delighted to be able to continue working with them for the next five years.

“Given MSC’s projected future growth we have struck a flexible agreement which will allow both parties to make better use of the services we share. As a business we always put the clients first and we are delighted to be able to cater to MSC’s needs with this contract renewal.

“With the economic picture looking uncertain, I am pleased we will continue working with MSC – a move which shows that the rail freight market is in good shape and will be needed more than ever as we begin the road back to recovery.”

 With proven records of ability to adapt to fast-paced, changing economic and market climates, both GBRf and MSC will be further supporting their customers’ supply chains with increased stability, flexibility and sustainability.

GB Railfreight comment on the publication of the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail White Paper

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Commenting on the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail White Paper, published today, John Smith, Managing Director at GB Railfreight, said:

“We welcome the publication of the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail and appreciate the warm words used to describe rail freight – correctly identified as having played a crucial role in keeping food and medical supplies moving during the pandemic as well as being key to building back better.

“As the Williams Review found, the rail sector lacks clear strategic direction. While we would have preferred a freight specific guiding mind, we welcome the government’s intent that the new Great British Railway body will have a statutory duty to promote rail freight. Within this context it is vital that our access to the network is given long term security as soon as possible. 

“However we remain of the belief that our sector needs a Freight Evangelist to champion it within GBR and across Whitehall. The benefits of rail freight are there for all to see, and we hope they will be recognised by GBR once it has been set up. Hopefully such an individual will be placed in post within the GBR organisation.

“We look forward to playing our part in shaping in the future of the railways including working with GBR and the Department for Transport on the Whole Industry 30-year Strategic Plan that will be set out in the coming months as announced in the White Paper.”

GBRf extend contract with Belmond for Royal Scotsman, A Belmond Train, Scotland’s haulage

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GBRf extend contract with Belmond for Royal Scotsman, A Belmond Train, Scotland’s haulage

GB Railfreight (GBRf) is delighted to announce that it has reached an agreement with Belmond to extend its existing contract to haul Belmond’s prestigious Royal Scotsman luxury sleeper train.

The partnership will last for an additional five years and will see GBRf continue to operate the train’s luxury journeys through spectacular Scottish scenery. The train holds up to forty guests and offers two, three and four night routes through the heart of the Highlands.

Today’s announcement is continued proof of GBRf’s strength and resilience as one of the country’s leading transport companies. Despite the disruption due to COVID-19, GB Railfreight has continued to provide first class services to all its commercial partners and is seeing business flourish despite the uncertain economic outlook.

Gary Franklin, Vice President, Trains & Cruises, Belmond, said:

“We are pleased to continue our relationship with GBRf who have been excellent partners since 2015. We look forward to commencing the Royal Scotsman’s operations again in 2021 – offering truly exceptional journeys through the heart of Scotland.”

John Smith, Managing Director at GB Railfreight, said:

 “We are absolutely delighted to be signing this contract extension with Belmond. As one of the UK’s preeminent luxury travel brands, we are honoured to continue working with them. Our existing relationship goes back to 2015 and to see it continue is a sign of how well we have cooperated over the years. 

“This is also a good sign given the economic uncertainty businesses face in light of the third national lockdown in England. Rail freight has been one of the drivers of economic activity throughout this period and will be needed now more than ever to ensure we recovery quickly. By strengthening partnerships such as the one with Belmond we are doing our bit to put our economy back on track.”

GBRf calls for the appointment of a ‘Freight Evangelist’ as Rail White Paper is published

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GBRf calls for the appointment of a ‘Freight Evangelist’ as Rail White Paper is published

GB Railfreight, one of the UK’s leading transport companies and the fastest growing rail freight operator, has called for the appointment of a new dedicated rail freight ‘guiding mind’ to steer the sector through the next phase in order to assure future growth, particularly following the COVID-19 crisis.

The new position, which will oversee all rail freight operations, is expected to be unveiled with the publication of the long-awaited Rail White Paper this week, in what looks set to be the biggest shake-up of the UK’s railways since privatisation in the 1990s.

GB Railfreight is calling for the new ‘Freight Evangelist’ to sign up to its Freight Manifesto, a five-point plan outlining of proposed measures which will ensure the sector can continue to grow and support the UK economy, while also putting the industry as a whole on a path towards sustainability.

The five-point plan is calling for the new Evangelist to:

  1. Champion the economic value of freight, so that it is put on an equal footing with passenger services;
  2. Put decarbonisation at the heart of their plan for the sector, in order to champion the ongoing modal shift from road to rail;
  3. Enforce an access regime that is reliable and fair to allow operators to deliver for their customers;
  4. Deliver investment that is freight specific, notably on electrification and improvements to critical infrastructure that unlocks freight capacity;
  5. Take an integrated national perspective, but also devolve powers over operations to the regions to ensure the smooth running of services across the country.

John Smith, Managing Director at GB Railfreight, said:

“We are at a critical point in the rail sector’s future. The decisions in the White Paper this week will have long-lasting consequences on all aspects, including rail freight. For this reason, GBRf is calling for the appointment of a dedicated ‘Freight Evangelist’ that can guide the sector into the next phase of our development.

“What rail freight needs now is parity of esteem with passenger services, and we need a voice round the table that can make the case for us. We have kept going during the pandemic, showing that we are an integral part of the UK economy. Rail freight also has an important role to play in reaching net zero emissions – it is right our voices are heard, both within Network Rail and across Whitehall.

“Today’s Freight Manifesto is a list of demands of the new guiding mind which will ensure rail freight can play its full part in shaping the future of the UK’s railways and put the economy on track to reach net zero by 2050.”

GBRf sign new contract with A.P. Moller – Maersk

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GBRf sign new contract with A.P. Moller – Maersk

Photo taken by Joada Allen

GB Railfreight (GBRf) is today announcing a new two-year deal with the global provider of end-to-end logistics services, the Danish company A.P. Moller -Maersk. The first rail collaboration between the two companies.

The service will operate from Felixstowe to Newell & Wright in Tinsley and will consist of daily trains, five times a week. The new built facility at Tinsley will bring new exciting opportunities to the market.

This new agreement sees GBRf operating from a new terminal, in Tinsley, but is a continuation of a longstanding relationship with Newell & Wright, whom GBRf have long worked with.

Today’s announcement also allows for the already strong relationship between GBRf and Maersk to flourish over the coming years. Maersk, a global integrator of container logistics company, active in ocean and inland freight transportation and associated services, such as supply chain management and port operation, has been the largest container shipping line and vessel operator in the world since 1996 and is a leading player in the logistics space. This new service will incorporate five new eco-fret 2 wagons which we have recently procured from VTG.

John Smith, Managing Director at GB Railfreight, said:

“I am delighted we have agreed this contract with Maersk, one of the world’s most renowned logistics and shipping companies. We are a growing organisation, always looking for the next opportunity and working with Maersk was an excellent opportunity. We hope this is the beginning of a great relationship.”

“We are also thrilled to be able to continue to build on our relationship with Newell & Wright, and to be operating from another of their terminals. We look forward to strengthening our ties over the course of the next two years.”

Jeremy Haycock at Maersk said:

“Maersk´s ultimate aim is offering our customers reliable options that streamline their supply chains. As a provider of logistic services, rail is key for us to increase supply chain flexibility for our customers. We will continue to strength our reliability in the UK and for that matter, the relationship with GBRf and Newell & Wright has proven to be of paramount importance.”

GBRf works with Biffa to turn derelict land into emission reducing transport hub

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GBRf works with Biffa to turn derelict land into emission reducing transport hub

Previously unused land in East London has been transformed into a transport hub, linking key waste sites with leading waste manager Biffa’s facilities by rail. The Renwick Road site opens today in partnership with GB Railfreight (GBRf) and will be able to transport 250,000 tonnes of waste from London by rail.

Transporting waste by rail is a key strategic aim for Biffa which is working towards transporting 50% of all its waste by rail by 2025. Since it launched its strategic partnership with GBRf in 2018, over a million tonnes of waste have been transported by rail, saving more than one million tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions from reaching the atmosphere.

Mick Davis, Chief Operating Officer for Resources and Energy Division at Biffa said:

“The opening of our new rail hub marks the next step in our strategic partnership with GBRf to increase our capacity for transportation by rail. It will help us reduce dependence on vehicles on the road and reduce the emissions we produce. The site was totally derelict when we took it on and amongst the rubbish and debris we cleared, we actually found some interesting items, including one and a half tonnes of World War Two bullets.”

John Smith, Managing Director at GBRf commented:

“We are delighted to be working with Biffa on this project and our collaboration will see us move thousands of tonnes of waste in a sustainable way. This is the way forward if we are to reach the net zero carbon emission target by 2050 and we look forward to continuing our partnership with Biffa in the months and years to come to ensure more waste can be removed by rail.”

Biffa has spent £4.2 million developing the site, removing 14,000 tonnes of previously fly-tipped waste and debris. Renwick Road has always been a railway yard, with its earliest record dating back to 1864. It fell out of use in 1991 and has remained unused until now. Operating five trains a week, Renwick Road will transport waste from North and East London to sites at Roxby, Scunthorpe, Leeds and Manchester.

Benefits of transporting waste by rail:

  1. It helps manage waste more sustainably, taking vehicles off the road
  2. Transporting waste by rail reduces the number of emissions produced by vehicles – through its rail transportation Biffa has reduced its emissions by 75%
  3. Local communities can benefit as there is less traffic on the road

History

Biffa and GBRf have been working together since 2018 when they announced the partnership to transport more waste by rail. It came after the opening of a transfer station in Manchester in 2017 and one in Leeds in 2018.

GBRf name new locomotive as King’s Cross project reaches final stage

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GBRf name new locomotive as King’s Cross project reaches final stage

L-R: Gary Ruff, Infrastructure Maintenance Engineer for Network Rail, Paul Rutter, Route Director for Network Rail’s East Coast Route, John Smith, GBRf Managing Director

To celebrate the final closure of the Kings Cross signal box, GB Railfreight, one of the UK’s leading transport companies, named a Class 66 locomotive at the station on 23 April.

The GBRf team has provided engineering trains and supported a project to renew the signalling system and overhead line equipment in the Kings Cross area, as well as simplifying the track layout at London King’s Cross.

As a result, the King’s Cross Power Signal Box has been closed, and the signalling has been recontroled to a state-of-the-art Rail Operating Centre in York. GBRf decided to mark the occasion by renaming the last train which was signalled into the station by the box in its honour.

The King’s Cross Power Signal Box opened in September 1971, after the original signal box built by the LNER in 1932 was closed. All signalling operations moved overnight to the new Kings Cross Power Signal Box situated on the site of the old York Road Station buildings. The original LNER signal-box remained in-situ for another five years before being demolished as part of the electrification scheme and rationalisation of the station track-work.

The new locomotive was named ‘King’s Cross PSB 1971-2021’ to mark this historic day.

John Smith, Managing Director at GB Railfreight, said:

“After 50 years King’s Cross PSB closed its doors with this 66767 being the last loco signalled by the box into King’s Cross station. Quite an honour when you consider all the other famous trains that have come and gone from the place!

“I’d like to thank all those who worked on this project, especially our colleagues at Network Rail who we worked so closely with during these last few months.”

GB Railfreight open new Peterborough office to kickstart next chapter

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GB Railfreight open new Peterborough office to kickstart next chapter

GB Railfreight officially opened their new office this week, in a move marking the next phase for the ever-growing transport company.

The official opening marks a new chapter in the story of GBRf. Founded in 1999, the 22-year-old company has been going from strength to strength in recent years, even during the pandemic. GBRf had a strong 2020 and is looking to build on last year’s results. The new headquarters sees the company continue to be a leader in the sector through innovation, training and a particular focus on its workforce, an area for which it was recently recognised at the Rail Business Awards earlier this year.

The works on the building, led by Lindum, are now complete, finishing on time and within budget – an achievement that has been praised given the last year has seen disruption from both Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic. After an informal opening on 8 April, teams have officially moved in and are getting used to their new surroundings. The building will house central functions, training and the Operations departments, as well as the fleet, and the GBRf 24-hour control centre.

The new office is based next door to the state-of-the-art simulators owned by GBRf. Having already pioneered this cutting-edge equipment, GBRf will look to become the leading training provider for train drivers and managers across the rail sector. The new office will play host to three shiny new classrooms which will be used by prospective train managers together with the simulators.

The building also reinforced GBRf’s green credentials, with solar panels having been installed on the roof and a number of electric vehicle charging points and bike racks having been installed. The company has also made staff wellbeing central to its plans for the new headquarters, with new furniture and amenities having been installed, as well as making sure the building and car park are completely accessible to all members of staff.

John Smith, Managing Director of GB Railfreight said:

“I am over the moon to be able to officially open our new offices in Peterborough today. Having seen a huge increase in the demand for our services, we made the call to expand our operations here by investing in new offices and training facilities. Today that has become a reality.

“On behalf of GBRf, I would like to thank the construction company Lindum for completing an outstanding job. The success of the project relies on the practical, hands-on approach taken from concept to completion, and the company is delighted with the result of this partnership.

“Our partnership with Lindum has seen the works happen on time and within budget – no mean feat considering what a challenging year 2020 was for the UK and the whole world. Now we look to put that disruption behind us, and kickstart a new phase for the business, which continues to go from strength to strength.”

Darren King, Managing Director of Lindum, added:

“This has been a fantastic project to be involved in. The building is just a few miles from our Peterborough office, so we are particularly happy to see the site being regenerated in this way. “Work began just before the Covid outbreak so we had to introduce strict hygiene rules and extra safety measures on site to ensure the impact of the virus was kept to a minimum.

“It is great to see a company like GB Railfreight reaffirming its commitment to Peterborough and we’ve enjoyed working with such a forward-thinking and ambitious client.”

GB Railfreight receives new wagons from VTG as it looks to expand its intermodal business

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GB Railfreight receives new wagons from VTG as it looks to expand its intermodal business

GB Railfreight officially received the delivery of its first operational Ecofret2® triple-container flat wagon sets from VTG Rail, which will be used to support GBRf’s growing demand for intermodal services.

The wagons arrived at GBRf’s new headquarters in Peterborough following successful prototype testing and approvals. The Ecofret2® is the latest innovation in maritime container transport and a revolutionary addition to VTG Rail’s fleet. These state-of-the-art wagons remove empty spaces that are often present in other wagons, but which are inefficient and cause turbulence during the journey, thus reducing fleet efficiency.

Today’s announcement is another remarkable achievement in GBRf’s intermodal journey. The company already has 21 intermodal services running across the country, and the new Ecofret2® wagons will only help the business remain at the cutting edge of the industry in this field.

The investment, worth £50m, also shows GBRf’s resilience in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and its willingness to stride forward as restrictions are eased.

In addition, with climate change at the forefront of the political agenda, GBRf is delighted to be contributing to the reduction of carbon emissions by expanding its intermodal fleet: an intermodal train only emits 5.4 pounds of carbon emissions per every 100-ton miles. Therefore, not only will GBRf increase the amount of goods and materials transported by rail, the business will ensure that their carbon output remains low in the process.

Julie Garn, Head of Intermodal at GB Railfreight said:

“I am delighted to be receiving this shipment of Ecofret2® wagons from VTG Rail. Growing the intermodal side of our business will be crucial to us to ensure we bounce back from COVID-19. In addition, there are huge benefits to moving more freight by rail including carbon emissions, which will be vital if we are to reach net zero emissions by 2050.”

David Golding, Asset Director at GB Railfreight, added:

“I couldn’t be more pleased to see the Ecofret2® wagons arrive and join our service. They are at the forefront of innovation in the intermodal sector and will make GBRf more and more competitive as we look to grow our business in the months and years to come”.

GB Railfreight announce new contract with Celsa

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GB Railfreight (GBRf) are very pleased to announce the commencement of a new twelve-year contract with Celsa Steel UK, the largest manufacturer of steel reinforcement in the UK and one of the largest producers of other long steel products.

Building upon an existing relationship of ten years, GBRf will provide internal shunting services including a supply of remote-control shunt locomotives, train crews and ancillary services. There will also be a dedicated team of shunt crews operating shunt movements on a permanent basis to ensure the smooth-running of the service.

As part of the contract, all internal rail movements will be undertaken by GBRf, including the transportation of inbound scrap metal for steel production, hot billets for processing into finished goods, and outbound movements of finished products. Furthermore, GBRf will assist Celsa with managing internal track and wagon maintenance assessments that are vital in keeping the service operational.

This is further evidence of the resilience and flexibility of what GBRf can offer to a variety of industries within the UK. The contract also marks a commitment from GBRf and Celsa to assess more environmentally friendly alternatives for locomotive supply to be explored as part of the contract, demonstrating a clear commitment to continue work towards a decarbonised transport system.

John Smith, Managing Director of GB Railfreight, said:

“I am delighted to announce that we are expanding on our relationship with Celsa. We have a strong relationship going back many years and we are delighted to continue it until 2033. This service will be a vital part of the UK’s steel industry, which we are incredibly proud to be supporting.

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

Luis Sanz, CEO and Managing Director of CELSA said:

“CELSA Steel has been part of the Cardiff industrial landscape for the last two decades and intends to build on our strong business foundations for many years to come, providing vital low carbon steel products for numerous construction projects throughout the UK. Our success is guaranteed through strong partnerships with those who want to come on our exciting journey and this long term contract with GBRf represents another step on our path to sustainability.

We can be proud of our heritage and we look forward to overcoming challenges together as we work to enhance our business and eliminate our carbon footprint.”