GB Railfreight has signed a seven-year deal with Caledonian Sleeper to continue hauling the overnight trains between London Euston and Edinburgh/Glasgow/Aberdeen/Fort William/Inverness.
It operates seven trains a night, six nights a week using Class 92 and Class 73 locomotives. It says the length of the new agreement offers the opportunity to consider using its on-order Stadler bi-mode Class 99 Co-Co locomotives, which could reduce carbon emissions on the service.
GBRf has provided haulage on the ‘sleeper’ since 2015 and the latest deal is in line with the original 15-year contract length: operation of the service has now transferred from Serco to the Scottish Government.
GB Railfreight Chief Executive John Smith said: ‘This new partnership with Transport Scotland is another great example of GB Railfreight’s ability to deliver an excellent and reliable haulage service. As the iconic Caledonian Sleeper enters a new era, we are extremely proud to be working with Transport Scotland and look forward to continuing to deliver fantastic service to passengers for many years to come.’
