GB Railfreight (GBRf) has taken delivery of the final batch of its hundred new FEA-G intermodal wagons, which, together with fifty new JNA-X Box Wagons, significantly increase rail freight capacity in the UK.
The wagons are now on lease to GBRf, which has worked in partnership with rolling stock company Porterbrook and rail vehicle manufacture and service company Greenbrier.
The FEA-G is an intermodal high-density twin wagon, which can carry six twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) on each service. This significantly increases the volume of cargo that can be transported on each train journey.
The JNA-X box wagon is a step forward in design, and features extra box strengthening without extra weight. Each wagon can carry 101.6 tonnes. The wagon is currently playing an important role in the moving construction materials for HS2 from the Peak District to Birmingham.
The three companies involved in sourcing the wagons are claiming that its successful, on-time delivery is a significant achievement, citing the Covid-19 pandemic, supply chain disruption, and surges in inflation and energy prices as obstacles that the initiative had to overcome.
Increasing freight capacity is important in attracting freight distribution away from the roads and onto the railway, on which freight transportation produces 76% less carbon.
Dave Golding, Asset Director at GB Railfreight, said: “These new wagons are some of the best available in the UK right now and we're continually adding them to our services. They have allowed us to move an extra 1.2 million tonnes of aggregate every year. Combined, they will remove c.400,000 lorries movements from our roads a year, leading to a huge reduction in our carbon emissions and delivering significant road safety benefits.”
Mark Wyborn, Head of Freight at Porterbrook, said: “This project demonstrates our commitment to freight and positions us well for future growth in the sector. It is testament to the strength of our partnership with GB Railfreight and Greenbrier that we've worked together and agreed ways to mitigate significant challenges.”
John Brown, Head of Sales at Greenbrier said: “In November 2022 the first JNA box wagons arrived into the UK, on schedule, followed shortly after by the first 60ft Intermodal Twin wagons. Both orders were complete in 2023 with the last wagons having just arrived.
“The positive outcome of both projects is testimony of the close collaborative working relationship we had with Porterbrook and GBRf to manage the challenges we all faced caused by Covid and the situation between Russia and Ukraine. Transparency and early communication were key throughout both projects in order to succeed. We had the contracts in place and Greenbrier were and are committed to delivery on time, every time to our customers.”
