DB Cargo has announced it is to eliminate the use of its Class 60 locomotives by re-gearing ten of its Class 66 locomotives to provide an enhanced tractive effort.
A recent assessment of its fleet of locomotives showed that most of its services are operated by Class 66 locomotives, with its Class 60s only seeing limited use. It concluded that if services operated by its Class 60 locomotives could be transferred to Class 66 locomotives with a higher tractive effort, that would benefit its customers and the company.
Until the Class 66 conversion programme has been completed, four Class 60s will remain in short-term service.
A DB Cargo spokesperson said “The Class 66 continues to form the backbone of DB Cargo UK's fleet, with the Class 60 currently only used on limited traffic. After careful consideration, analysis and in collaboration with our customers, we have established that some of our services currently operated by Class 60s, could be more effectively and efficiently served by the Class 66 HTE (Higher Tractive Effort) – this will benefit our customers and the company alike.
“To this end, we are investing in a significant programme of work to re-gear ten of our existing Class 66 locomotives to providing enhanced tractive effort capability. They will effectively become Class 66/6s. These will be phased in from April 2024 onwards and allow us to continue with the phased withdrawal of our Class 60 fleet.
“Four Class 60s will remain in short-term service beyond the end of the year until the new Class 66 HTEs are introduced.”
So many know it all’s on here,once the speed system & other computer glitches were ironed out they were very reliable for loco’s that didn’t have any sort of overhaul for over 20 years,the blind ignorance of EWS & under investment by DB Schenker are the reasons why the 60’s & now 90’s are rotting away,FFS anybody with half a brain know the 66’s were built with a working life span of 18/20 years
In all honesty and I am looking at the situation with an open mind. Poor management and public money on tap means they have the green light to be as wasteful as they want. This has been the case since the days of EWS. Another failure. Okay so the Class 60 have limited capabilities due to their lower top speed. Shame that DB didn’t have the brains to reach out to GE and do a rebuild of them to something like a class 70 inside a 60 bodyshell. But why bother when the public money pays? Ah well, the Class 60s were good while they lasted. I am sure a few will be preserved in due course.
The reason for some of DB Cargos losses is the fact that GBRF are bidding for contracts at 3 years ago prices…All well and good for the win the work for short term…Also very typical of company owned by hedge funds….GBRF is the Uber of freight and a race to the bottom it is ……
As for DB , As long Germany got its money from UK subsidiary it wasn’t bothered what went on in the UK ..Ultimately staff will probably leave and more than is required ..
The head guy in charge of repair and overhaul of class 60’s is leaving DB to work at Rolls Royce, he has had enough and can’t face over hauling the 60’s again. DB is in melt down and I think the end is coming and a lot of staff want the money and want to leave. Bad management hasn’t helped and project Charles was a disaster. Work has been lost over the years and not much has replaced it.
Terrible news!
Ever since the Keith Heller era,this business has progressively got smaller.
Can’t comment on the 60s themselves but the best thing that could happen with DB Cargo in my view is being bought out by GBRF!
Yes, work for a shower of fly-by-night “UK plc” cowboys like GBRF and see your Ts&Cs flushed down the pan in front of your eyes.
Brilliant proposition, I’m sure everyone in DB would be overjoyed were that shower to ever be their new employer….👍
Seems to me DB are going down the pan. Had 70 percent of traffic when EWS
What a shame. A complete and utter waste. A load more disgruntled drivers to the list…
I sure hope this ends up being a decision they end up really regretting.
Lots of business (reputed to be around 25%)lost,Class 60,s & 90,s being withdrawn and no new locos on order.It doesn’t look too good for DB.Hope I,m wrong but they seem to be struggling at the moment.
Yep, totally agree. A mistake that XC and TPE are also making. Withdrawing locos with no replacement.
The difference is that DB have made the decision, whereas the DfT essentially forced XC and TPE to withdraw stock.
Their parent company in Germany is in rather difficult financial trouble and recently sold off its arriva assets to an investment company. Ultimately I expect dB cargo will be chopped down before being sold off to cut losses. Other non Germany based parts of the DB empire probably will get chopped.
It leaves the question of what will happen to the 60s, I have a feeling they’d rather scrap them all than let a rival have them.
Would a rival even want them ? they have never been reliable locos from the start – yes they are good when they work, but compared to the 66s they are woefull on availability.. even GBRF are looking for alternatives for their few
Their bodyshells could be used as donors for another Class 69-type project. I imagine that’s what GBRF would have done if they had their way!
I can see DBC being bitter over selling them but hopefully they find a new home with DCR or GBRf. It’s safe to say though that the majority of the 60’s sat rotting away now have a high chance of being scrapped. It really is a huge shame, if only DBC had retained the Mendip contract, things could have been so much different for the 60’s.
Overall the majority of the class should never have been stored and sidelined just to rot away, the blame lies entirely on EWS for that. The reasoning is obvious, but some people still don’t see why.