Freightliner in the UK has taken delivery of a brand new shunting and switching locomotive with a difference. It is entirely battery-powered. The designated Class 18 locomotive has been built by the British manufacturer Clayton, which has a long history of involvement in the UK railway industry. The locomotive has been financed by rolling stock leasing company Beacon Rail. It will be deployed at Freightliner’s Basford Hall complex in Crewe.
The deployment of a battery-powered shunter is a first for Freightliner, the UK arm of the American-owned Genesee and Wyoming corporation. The rail freight operator has long been a champion of emissions-free rail operations. The company has a fleet of repurposed main line electric locomotives, but this acquisition is a brand new, purpose-built unit, intended to replace the workload of existing diesel shunters. The lease follows on from a recent net-zero fuel initiative by the company.
New dawn of locomotive innovation
Freightliner has done its environmental credentials no harm at all by taking on to its fleet a fully battery-powered shunter. They have also ticked a patriotic box, by putting their faith in a British manufacturer. The Class 18 designated locomotive is a proprietary design of Clayton Engineering, a British company with a complicated corporate history. It has an equally tangled association with the railway industry. Unfairly, the company name is still associated with early diesel designs. These were often barely passed the prototype stage, and were rushed onto the tracks, while the company laboured to answer the hurried modernisation of British Railways in the 1950s and 1960s.
Today, however, Clayton Equipment has been through many iterations, and has emerged as a world-leading designer and builder of specialist equipment. The company is noted for its range of battery powered shunting locomotives, all of which are far developed past any prototyping. The reliable and suitably chunky Class 18 owes its profile to the company’s heritage and skilful design. “New advancements, including diesel-electrical hybrid and battery power, have ushered in a new dawn of locomotive innovation”, said Clayton in a company statement, issued from their Burton Upon Trent, Staffordshire, manufacturing headquarters. “While the rail industry is already credited with being minimally damaging to the environment when compared to other popular modes of transport, these developments bring about even greater reductions to CO₂ emissions, among a myriad of other benefits.”
Ambition to further reduce carbon footprint
Emissions free operations is nothing new to Freightliner. Although the mainstay of operations is a fleet of over one hundred of the ubiquitous Class 66 diesel units, the company has almost 40 electric locomotives which have been repurposed from express passenger duties with previous operators. Furthermore, the carrier has only just announced an alternative fuels partnership with a specialist British start-up, “Zero”, with an ambition to further reduce its overall carbon footprint. “Following our announcement last week with Zero, here is another good step for our railway”, said Tim Shoveller, chief executive at Freightliner. “Great to work with Beacon to see what this [Class 18 Clayton electric shunter] can do.”
Beacon Rail considers Freightliner a long standing customer, but this is a first venture into battery power. The locomotive will be operated at Basford Hall, Crewe, with maintenance support to be provided by UK Rail Leasing. Beacon say this is just the first of potentially more battery-shunting locomotives for their customer. “The lease of the Class 18 locomotive is a key sign of Freightliner’s commitment to decarbonisation and willingness to take positive steps in the use of alternate traction for its operations at Basford Hall”, observed Adam Cunliffe, CEO at Beacon. “We welcome the opportunity to work with Freightliner in supporting their strategy and look forward to growing this support in the form of future similar locomotive deliveries.”