GB Railfreight (GBRf) have announced that they have formed a partnership with Porterbrook to build 100 new wagons.
Operating a large number of freight trains in the UK and growing in size, GBRf has recently been looking to expand its fleet in the longer term.
To help them add more rolling stock to their fleet, they have discussed and agreed on a deal with Porterbrook, a Rolling Stock Company that owns many locomotives and rolling stock operated in the UK.
Porterbrook will oversee the manufacture of the 100 new wagons on order from Greenbrier, who will be using Greenbrier's own 60' intermodal twins design, which is popular for haulage of shipping containers.
Greenbrier is a well-known railcar building firm, which has a large presence in Europe. The current schedule should see the first 10 wagons ready for delivery to GBRf in August 2022, with the remaining 90 to follow in batches of 10 on a monthly basis.
That should mean all 100 wagons are in service with GBRf by Early Summer 2023. The lease of these vehicles will follow a 10-year dry lease.
Managing Director at GB Railfreight John Smith said: “I am delighted to be partnering again with Porterbrook, a company at the heart of the UK's rail network, on this exciting project. At GBRf, we always look to work with leading companies in the transport sphere and we couldn't ask for a better partner than Porterbrook. By working together we are proving that our sector continues to combine innovation and resilience which will be vital as we move towards more sustainable modes of transport.”
“We are also thrilled to be able to work with an innovative manufacturer such as Greenbrier, and see this as a continuation of an excellent long-standing relationship”.
Porterbrook CEO Mary Grant said: “We are very pleased that GBRf have chosen Porterbrook to support their ambitious intermodal expansion plans. This builds on our 15 year relationship with a truly innovative company.
“Today's announcement also signifies a renewed commitment by Porterbrook to investing in rail-freight, which has a key role to play in reducing long distance lorry movements and supporting the Green Recovery.”
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Article doesn’t mention if Porterbrook is located in the UK . Is it?
Based in UK but foreign owned.