DB Schenker Rail (UK)
DB Schenker Rail (UK) is a British railway company and the largest rail freight operator on the island of Great Britain, and the largest freight customer of the Euro tunnel. The company belongs to the Group of Deutsche Bahn AG.
History
The company was formed in February 1996 under the name of English, Welsh & Scottish Railway (EWS ). At that time, in the privatization of British Rail, bought the American railway company Wisconsin Central together with investors four sub- companies of the freight operations of British Rail (Rail Express Systems, Loadhaul, Trans Rail Freight and Mainline Freight ) and put them together as EWS. Later took over EWS is the area of National Power Rail.
The company took over in 1996 much of the freight business of British Rail.
Since the Wisconsin Central was acquired in January 2001 by the Canadian National Railway, the Canadian National was until 2007 the largest shareholder.
The 1987 contract concluded between Euro Tunnel, the British Railways Board ( BRB ) and the SNCF guaranteed the two railway companies 50 percent of the capacity of the euro tunnel to the year 2052nd In 1997, after the railway privatization in the UK, the BRB transferred this right to EWS.
From the end of 1998, the company offered in collaboration with DB Cargo five times a week at a fast freight train pair between Cologne -Gremberg and Wembley through the Channel Tunnel. In January 2001, negotiated DB, EWS and SNCF on the involvement of Deutsche Bahn to EWS after the end of November 2000, the 42.5 percent share of Wisconsin Central also holds a stake of Goldman Sachs were up for sale. The talks were interrupted a few weeks later, as Wisconsin Central was even bought.
As a second private railway company by Connex EWS received on 3 October 2005 for a safety certificate to operate in France. In France operates DB Schenker Rail (UK ) with its subsidiary Euro Cargo Rail (ECR) freight trains in competition with SNCF and Veolia. In July 2008, EWS has also received the security certificate for Spain.
The largest shareholder of EMS have until November 26, 2007 Canadian National at 31.6 percent, the New Zealand investment bank Fay Rich White with 16.6 percent, the U.S. investment fund Berkshire Partners with 16.8 percent and also U.S. investment bank Goldman Sachs with 5.8 percent. The remaining 30 percent were held by minor shareholders. Since November 26, the EMS is 100 percent owned by Deutsche Bahn AG; since 1 January 2009, the company operates under the name DB Schenker Rail (UK) Ltd..
With the French subsidiary Euro Cargo Rail, DB Schenker Rail (UK) since 2008 European combined transport between the UK and Spain, Belgium, Germany and Italy to. Be marketed about 1,000 trains a year under the brand Euro Cargo Rail.
DB Schenker (Rail ) UK employs approximately 5,000 people in the UK.
Rolling stock
DB Schenker Rail (UK) has about 500 locomotives, 250 diesel locomotives of Class 66, developed in cooperation with the Department of General Motors EMD (now Electro-Motive Diesel ), and 30 locomotives of the series with 67 top speed of 125 miles / h (200 km / h), as well as 14,000 car.
The standard color of the vehicles is an acquired by the Wisconsin Central Maroon with a golden band on the long side with the lettering "EWS " in the same Maroon therein. On older vehicles you can still find an ampersand ( "&") between the "W " and " S"; this was later dropped. The fronts of locomotives are decorated in the typical yellow of the British railways.
DB Schenker Rail (UK ) also has the passenger car and charter trains for special trips or social events and also runs the Royal Train, the Salonwagenzug the British Royal Family. For their own purposes holds DB Schenker Rail (UK) a " Company Train " (internal " CoT "), which is pulled by a locomotive class 67, and consists of a conference car, a sleeping car and a dining car and a driving trailer for push mode. Locomotive and control cars are decorated in silver gray and have both a video camera in the direction of travel, the other cars are painted maroon in the company colors.
All vehicles comply with UIC - UK1, which is slightly narrower than the spread on the European continent as a standard UIC profiles GA to GC.
Locomotives
After the formation of EWS by the Wisconsin Central announced the new owner, phase out all old locomotives from the holdings of the British Rail and replace them with new locomotives. 250 machines of the 66 were ordered. Nevertheless, still some older locomotives at DB Schenker Rail (UK) in use. Since only about one-third of the rail network is electrified to Britain and also two different power systems are in place (25 kV ~ 50 Hz and 750 V = track), sets DB Schenker Rail (UK) mainly on diesel engines.
The strong electric locomotives of Class 92 are especially used for passage through the Euro tunnel, a diesel locomotive Class 66 is carried along in the train, which take on the actual running of the train beyond the marshalling yards Dollands Moor and Calais - Fréthun at the two outputs of the Euro Tunnel traction.
Traffic performance
DB Schenker Rail (UK) moved weekly about 8,000 trains and is the only rail freight operator, which operates in all parts of the island of Britain and a cargo service operates through the channel tunnel to the mainland.
DB Schenker Rail (UK) also provides traction for passenger trains of other companies, including for the sleeper London - Scotland on the West Coast Main Line ( WCML ), the Caledonian Sleeper.
EMS had transported the post until January 9, 2004, the Royal Mail decided to no longer transport mail by train. The decision was revised almost a year later, but since mail is transported only to a limited extent by competitors GB Railfreight. However, DB Schenker Rail (UK) travels mail and packages for DHL.
From 2010 to the Company freight trains will operate on the high-speed line HS1. To be drawn, these trains of modified locomotives of the series 92