RailAdventure has signed a new partnership deal with Hanson & Hall Rail Services, and, at the same time, has purchased eight Class 43 locomotives, which will run back to back to operate domestic services.
RailAdventure, based in Munich, has been involved in delivering new trains from Europe to the UK, such as the new Merseyrail Class 777 trains.
Alex Dworaczek, Managing Director of RailAdventure GmbH, said: “We always want to accompany the development of our customers and are now proud to be able to offer the highest quality and most flexible solutions from our own source for the British domestic market. In addition, the local proximity to the production sites is important to us.”
Since being founded three years ago, Hanson and Hall have been supporting operators in the UK and as part of its expansion plans has partnered with RailAdventure. Hanson and Hall will now operate under “Hanson & Hall Part of the RailAdventure Group”.
Jason Hall, Managing Director of Hanson & Hall, said: “This is a really exciting time for us as we increase the scale our service offerings. Through the combined experience of Rail Adventure and our company, the UK rail industry and its suppliers are about to receive a much-needed step change in service levels, and I am thrilled we have such fantastic partners backing us during the next stages of our growth”.
Hanson and Hall’s Class 50 and 31 locomotives will both wear the RailAdventure livery in the future, according to the operator. For the expansion of the fleet, RailAdventure says it relies on tried and tested equipment, using locomotives that are independent of any manufacturer or operating company.
With regards to this, Alex Dworaczek states: “What we want to avoid is, for example, using a current product of a locomotive manufacturer to transport the prototype of another competing company, which can lead to conflicts of interest with our customers.”
Eight HST power cars have been purchased from a UK Leasing Company, these being: 43296, 43308, 43423, 43465, 43467, 43468, 43480 and 43484. The former two, 43296 and 43308, have been purchased for spares.
Six power cars will double up to form three double locomotives and will be fitted with translator technology to allow for controlling the brakes of towed multiple units.
Habfis coupling adapter cars will also be transferred to the UK, with 43480 and 43484 coming out of the paint shop this afternoon (19th April 2021).
The 43s are also planned to be used as traction vehicles at test centres in Central Europe.
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Long live the HST’s. Wonderful trains and great to see them carrying on.
Good to see the a new lease of life is happening too the most iconic Class 43 locomotives. Instead of scrapping them.
Well it comes to show… Some of the ex-British Rail Intercity 125 HST Power Cars still have Quite A Future Ahead… Good Luck to them, and so-called Rail Adventure on their newly secured contract.
So much easy money around to re-paint so many things . . .
It’s great to see all the buffered HSTs have got a new use! However I am not the biggest fan of the livery.