GB Railfreight on track to decarbonisation

GBRf’s Class 99, which was officially unveiled to industry at Innotrans in Berlin in September 2024, has been engineered to adapt to both electrified and non-electrified routes: in other words, it can operate using both electricity and renewable fuels, depending on the lines on which it runs and the available infrastructure. The company has said this hybrid approach cuts emissions by more than half, as well as reducing journey times and improving efficiency.

In its latest testing, the Class 99 broke new ground when it ran on the Midland Main Line, the Great Western Main Line, and into South Wales, when it reached Cardiff Pangam on 30 September.

It has already undergone trials on the East Coast Main Line and East Anglia, with the first models having arrived in the UK in June, and will continue compatibility testing with Network Rail with the aim to operate more loaded train tests during October on Midland, Great Western and Southern routes.

A launch event was held at GBRf’s headquarters in Peterborough earlier this year where it displayed the locomotives and noted a £150 million investment into the fleet, which is expected to change Britain’s freight network.

At the launch, Iñigo Parra, CEO of Stadler Valencia, said the Class 99 “redefines UK rail freight” and will “drive modal shift from road to rail and power Britain’s net-zero journey”.

The locomotives, designed by Beacon Rail and Stadler, are being manufactured at its facility in Valencia, and will be used to transport a wide variety of consumable goods and materials across the country. Currently, GBRf is responsible for transporting goods ranging from house building materials to aviation fuel, white goods and wine.

Against a backdrop of the government setting a target of growing rail freight by 75% by 2050, locomotives such as GBRf’s will become increasingly important to supporting these goals while achieving them sustainably.