Stobart Rail

Stobart Rail is a railway freight service of the United Kingdom, provision of which has been privatised since the 1990s with the break up of British Rail. Stobart Rail is part of the Eddie Stobart Group, and carries intermodal freight for the group. The service is operated by Stobart's rail partner, Direct Rail Services.

History

Stobarts had previously transported some of its freight by rail, using Stobart liveried IWB Ferrywagons hired from Tiphook [ [http://web.ukonline.co.uk/wagons/1-100/stobart.jpgImage of a Stobart IWB freight wagon] ] .

Tesco

From Tuesday 19 September, 2006 Stobart Rail commenced a daily delivery train on behalf of Tesco [ [http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/viewarticle.aspx?id=413763&imageindex=2 News & Star ] ] , 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 [ [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,2769-2361204,00.html Eddie Stobart takes to the rails - Times Online ] ]

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’ curtainsided containers, which at 8’6” in height can travel on any rail gauge in the UK. Stobart has bought 90 of these new containers in order to provide this service. The train travels at an average speed of 40mph, which is comparable with a lorry, although the whole process takes slightly longer because of additional loading and unloading [ [http://www.eddiestobart.co.uk/News/News_Article.php?id=19 Stobarts Launch Rail Freight Service ] ]

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 [ [http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/viewarticle.aspx?id=412538 News & Star ] ] .

In May 2008 Stobart Rail announced a second route had been gained for Tesco, from Grangemouth to Inverness, to start no later than September [ [http://www.roadtransport.com/Articles/2008/05/23/130791/stobart-wins-second-rail-contract-with-tesco.html www.roadtransport.com] Stobart wins second rail contract with Tesco, 23 May 2008] .

Future

Stobart Rail announced in May 2008 that it planned up to six new train services in addtion to the Tesco contracts in the year [ [http://www.roadtransport.com/Articles/2008/05/21/130770/stobart-on-track-for-six-new-rail-services.html www.roadtransport.com] Stobart on track for six new rail services, 21 May 2008] .

ee also

* Rail transport in Great Britain#Freight services

References

External links

* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/cumbria/content/image_galleries/eddie_train_gallery.shtml?8 BBC News gallery of the first Stobart Rail service]
* [http://blue-pullman.fotopic.net/c1087828.html Images of the Tesco dedicated train]