Owners of 60163 Tornado, the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, and DB Cargo UK have signed a three-year deal to operate steam charter trains in the UK.
Starting in 2023, the deal is for an initial three-year period and will see DB Cargo UK operate The Aberdonian from Edinburgh / Glasgow to Aberdeen.
These trains will be hauled by A1 No. 60163 Tornado, and will also allow for other charter trains to be operated by DB Cargo across the country.
The deal also sees the agreement that DB Cargo UK will test and commission new build P2 No. 2007 Prince of Wales once it is completed.
Commenting on the new agreement, A1SLT Chairman, Steve Davies MBE, said, “We are pleased to reach agreement with DB Cargo UK to operate ‘The Aberdonian' trains for the next three years. This agreement protects our core operation, whilst also allowing flexibility with other routes and operators. It also recognises the key activity that will follow completion of P2, Prince of Wales, in around two years' time”.
Richard Corser, DB Cargo UK Account Manager Special Trains welcomed the agreement and added, “DB Cargo UK are pleased to continue our relationship with A1SLT and will be undertaking significant training to ensure the success of this agreement. We successfully helped test and commission Tornado in 2008 and look forward to undertaking the same tasks for new build steam locomotive Prince of Wales“.
Not sure it’s precisely in the spirit of Tornado to be generating profit for the German taxpayer. But such is the madness of today’s “privatised” railway.
Her boiler is german
Yes – how ridiculous.
A so called British steam engine with a German manufactured boiler.
Personally I’m not a fan of these so called new builds.
Yes, they supposedly train tomorrow’s young engineers, but using 21st century techniques which they didn’t have all those years ago – you could call it pseudo crap
Not forgetting that in reality, a lot of people are making a healthy living out of these engines, whilst denying a large proportion of real steam fan’s the chance to enjoy a journey,as the tickets prices are absolutely ridiculous.
In reality, in my opinion, unsustainable.