Stobart Rail
Encyclopedia
Stobart Rail is a railway freight service operator in the United Kingdom
. Stobart Rail now comes under the Stobart Transport and Distribution division of the Stobart Group
, and carries intermodal
freight for the group. The service is operated by rail partner, DB Schenker
.
.
The rail engineering side now comes under the Stobart Infrastructure and Civils division, and holds a Network Rail Principal Contractor's Licence and Rail Plant Operating Company Licence. Stobart Infrastructure and Civils undertakes development projects and is delivering improvement works at a number of Stobart Group facilities, and has recently finished constructing the new London Southend Airport railway station
.
Stobart Rail also operates a training school.
, for which it already provided comprehensive road haulage services. Collecting Tesco goods from around the Midlands, the train runs from the Stobart depot at DIRFT
in Daventry
, to the Grangemouth Rail terminal
in Scotland
. The train then returns to Daventry, 90% filled by Tesco and 10% filled by Coca Cola - shipping the equivalent of 26 lorries daily in each direction
Hauled by British Rail Class 66
locomotive, 66411 Eddie the Engine, supplied and manned by Direct Rail Services
, the train consists of 26 specially designed new 45 feet (13.7 m) curtain-sided containers, which at 8 in 6 in (2.59 m) in height, so are within the UK loading gauge
. Stobart has bought 90 of these new containers in order to provide this service. The train travels at an average speed of 40 miles per hour (64.4 km/h), which is comparable with a lorry, although the whole process takes slightly longer because of additional loading and unloading
Over the three year contract, it is estimated the dedicated rail freight service will replace 130,000 lorry journeys and save three million road miles a year. Stobart has been given £400,000 by the UK Government and Scottish Executive to switch 70 per cent of its cross-border freight for Tesco from road to rail. The train will be in Tesco corporate colours.
In May 2008 Stobart announced a second route had been gained for Tesco, from Grangemouth
to Inverness
, to start no later than September.
On 30 October 2009 Stobart commenced a new, weekly refrigerated train service, operated in conjunction with DB Schenker Rail (UK)
, an 1100 miles (1,770.3 km) journey from Valencia, terminating at the Ford Dagenham
goods-yard, providing for the first time an alternative to lorries for the import of fresh Spanish salad-vegetables.
It was the first fully refrigerated goods service to run through Eurotunnel
, and is currently the longest train journey in Europe by a single operator. On the return journey to Spain the train will carry pallets for CHEP
.
Stobart announced in May 2008 that it planned up to six new train services in addition to the Tesco contracts in the year.
66411 "Eddie the Engine" AND 66414 "James the Engine" which are both British Rail Class 66
locomotive. The third loco is 66048 "James the Engine" operated by DB Schenker Rail (UK)
and is a British Rail Class 66
locomotive although this Locomotive is currently out of service stored in Toton due to a Derailment in 2010
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Stobart Rail now comes under the Stobart Transport and Distribution division of the Stobart Group
Stobart Group
Stobart Group Ltd is a large British multimodal logistics company, with interests in Transport and Distribution, Estates, Infrastructure and Civils, Air and Biomass, through operations in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Belgium...
, and carries intermodal
Intermodal freight transport
Intermodal freight transport involves the transportation of freight in an intermodal container or vehicle, using multiple modes of transportation , without any handling of the freight itself when changing modes. The method reduces cargo handling, and so improves security, reduces damages and...
freight for the group. The service is operated by rail partner, DB Schenker
DB Schenker Rail (UK)
DB Schenker Rail , before 2009 known as English, Welsh and Scottish Railway is a British rail freight company. EWS was established by a consortium led by Wisconsin Central Transportation Corporation in 1996 by acquisition of five of the six freight companies created by the privatisation of British...
.
History
Stobart had previously transported some of its freight by rail, using Stobart liveried IWB Ferrywagons hired from TiphookTiphook
Tiphook plc was a United Kingdom headquartered transport services company, registered on the London and New York stock markets, which became the world’s second largest marine container leasing business in the 1990s...
.
The rail engineering side now comes under the Stobart Infrastructure and Civils division, and holds a Network Rail Principal Contractor's Licence and Rail Plant Operating Company Licence. Stobart Infrastructure and Civils undertakes development projects and is delivering improvement works at a number of Stobart Group facilities, and has recently finished constructing the new London Southend Airport railway station
Southend Airport railway station
Southend Airport railway station is a railway station on the Shenfield to Southend line which opened on 18 July 2011, however the official opening ceremony was enacted by Minister for Transport Theresa Villiers MP on 21 September 2011...
.
Stobart Rail also operates a training school.
Rail Services
From Tuesday 19 September 2006 Stobart Rail commenced a daily delivery train on behalf of TescoTesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
, for which it already provided comprehensive road haulage services. Collecting Tesco goods from around the Midlands, the train runs from the Stobart depot at DIRFT
Daventry International Railfreight Terminal
Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal is a rail port and logistics centre located near Rugby, Warwickshire and Crick, Northamptonshire just south of the beginning of the M6 Motorway and near junction 18 of the M1 motorway...
in Daventry
Daventry
Daventry is a market town in Northamptonshire, England, with a population of 22,367 .-Geography:The town is also the administrative centre of the larger Daventry district, which has a population of 71,838. The town is 77 miles north-northwest of London, 13.9 miles west of Northampton and 10.2...
, to the Grangemouth Rail terminal
Grangemouth
Grangemouth is a town and former burgh in the council area of Falkirk, Scotland. The town lies in the Forth Valley, on the banks of the Firth of Forth, east of Falkirk, west of Bo'ness and south-east of Stirling. Grangemouth had a resident population of 17,906 according to the 2001...
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. The train then returns to Daventry, 90% filled by Tesco and 10% filled by Coca Cola - shipping the equivalent of 26 lorries daily in each direction
Hauled by British Rail Class 66
British Rail Class 66
The Class 66 is a six axle diesel electric freight locomotive developed in part from the British Rail Class 59, for use on the railways of the UK. Since its introduction the class has been successful and has been sold to British and other European railway companies...
locomotive, 66411 Eddie the Engine, supplied and manned by Direct Rail Services
Direct Rail Services
Direct Rail Services is a freight operating company created by British Nuclear Fuels Limited. The company started rail operations in 1995 using five heavily refurbished Class 20/3 diesel locomotives. Since then it has expanded greatly, and has acquired many more locomotives, most bought...
, the train consists of 26 specially designed new 45 feet (13.7 m) curtain-sided containers, which at 8 in 6 in (2.59 m) in height, so are within the UK loading gauge
Loading gauge
A loading gauge defines the maximum height and width for railway vehicles and their loads to ensure safe passage through bridges, tunnels and other structures...
. Stobart has bought 90 of these new containers in order to provide this service. The train travels at an average speed of 40 miles per hour (64.4 km/h), which is comparable with a lorry, although the whole process takes slightly longer because of additional loading and unloading
Over the three year contract, it is estimated the dedicated rail freight service will replace 130,000 lorry journeys and save three million road miles a year. Stobart has been given £400,000 by the UK Government and Scottish Executive to switch 70 per cent of its cross-border freight for Tesco from road to rail. The train will be in Tesco corporate colours.
In May 2008 Stobart announced a second route had been gained for Tesco, from Grangemouth
Grangemouth
Grangemouth is a town and former burgh in the council area of Falkirk, Scotland. The town lies in the Forth Valley, on the banks of the Firth of Forth, east of Falkirk, west of Bo'ness and south-east of Stirling. Grangemouth had a resident population of 17,906 according to the 2001...
to Inverness
Inverness
Inverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland...
, to start no later than September.
On 30 October 2009 Stobart commenced a new, weekly refrigerated train service, operated in conjunction with DB Schenker Rail (UK)
DB Schenker Rail (UK)
DB Schenker Rail , before 2009 known as English, Welsh and Scottish Railway is a British rail freight company. EWS was established by a consortium led by Wisconsin Central Transportation Corporation in 1996 by acquisition of five of the six freight companies created by the privatisation of British...
, an 1100 miles (1,770.3 km) journey from Valencia, terminating at the Ford Dagenham
Ford Dagenham assembly plant
Ford Dagenham is a major automotive factory located in Dagenham, United Kingdom operated by the Ford of Europe subsidiary of the Ford Motor Company...
goods-yard, providing for the first time an alternative to lorries for the import of fresh Spanish salad-vegetables.
It was the first fully refrigerated goods service to run through Eurotunnel
Eurotunnel
Groupe Eurotunnel S.A. manages and operates the Channel Tunnel between Britain and France. The Company operates the car shuttle services and earns revenue on other trains passing through the tunnel...
, and is currently the longest train journey in Europe by a single operator. On the return journey to Spain the train will carry pallets for CHEP
CHEP
CHEP is an international company dealing in pallet and container pooling services, serving customers in a range of industrial and retail supply chains. CHEP is owned by Brambles Limited....
.
Stobart announced in May 2008 that it planned up to six new train services in addition to the Tesco contracts in the year.
Loco's
Stobart Rail have 3 loco's currently in their livery, 2 are operated by Direct Rail ServicesDirect Rail Services
Direct Rail Services is a freight operating company created by British Nuclear Fuels Limited. The company started rail operations in 1995 using five heavily refurbished Class 20/3 diesel locomotives. Since then it has expanded greatly, and has acquired many more locomotives, most bought...
66411 "Eddie the Engine" AND 66414 "James the Engine" which are both British Rail Class 66
British Rail Class 66
The Class 66 is a six axle diesel electric freight locomotive developed in part from the British Rail Class 59, for use on the railways of the UK. Since its introduction the class has been successful and has been sold to British and other European railway companies...
locomotive. The third loco is 66048 "James the Engine" operated by DB Schenker Rail (UK)
DB Schenker Rail (UK)
DB Schenker Rail , before 2009 known as English, Welsh and Scottish Railway is a British rail freight company. EWS was established by a consortium led by Wisconsin Central Transportation Corporation in 1996 by acquisition of five of the six freight companies created by the privatisation of British...
and is a British Rail Class 66
British Rail Class 66
The Class 66 is a six axle diesel electric freight locomotive developed in part from the British Rail Class 59, for use on the railways of the UK. Since its introduction the class has been successful and has been sold to British and other European railway companies...
locomotive although this Locomotive is currently out of service stored in Toton due to a Derailment in 2010