East Midlands-based DCRail has entered into a new long-term maintenance deal with UKRL. The bulk freight services specialist carrier has signed a new three-year locomotive servicing contract with the Leicester-based engineering company. The deal simplifies maintenance for DCRail and is also valuable aviation for UKRL, which christened its new plant a little over a year ago.
With a fleet of Class 60 heavy freight locomotives, DCRail provides services to leading suppliers and users of construction and industrial minerals. The Derby based business, part of the Cappagh Group of Companies, has entered into a new agreement with UKRL of Leicester to undertake all servicing on the Class 60 diesel locomotives.
The regular examinations will be undertaken at the Leicester depot, where UKRL undertake maintenance, overnight servicing, train care and fuelling for several rail vehicle types. This contract is a development of the previous agreement, which has been in place since April 2022.
Supports efficient supply chain solutions
‘’I am very pleased that our relationship with UKRL continues to flourish,” said David Fletcher, Director for Rail for the Cappagh Group of Companies. “Over the last two years, we have worked together to maximise the availability of our locomotive fleet with the regular ‘B’ exams [an extensive middle-cycle maintenance procedure short of an overhaul] now being undertaken in under seven days, and overall fleet availability increased to over 90 per cent.”
The economic advantages and the potential for growth are evident for DCRail. David Fletcher explained that the small fleet of Class 60 locomotives is currently rostered for 75 per cent fleet availability. That figure reflects the complexity and age of the machines and the tough daily roster of hauling heavy aggregate trains around Great Britain in support of everything from house building to civil engineering projects. “The ability to minimise fleet downtime means that DCRail can offer customers efficient supply chain solutions, reducing carbon emissions and assisting the move to net zero,” he added. It also means that DCRail can look for new business on the back of great fleet availability.
Joint focus on adding additional value and capacity
The Class 60 diesel freight locomotive fleet dates from the early 1990s and was originally built for British Rail, the nationalised carrier of the time. That they are in daily service is a source of pride for both DCRail and UKRL. The businesses have worked together to bring a wide range of improvements to the fleet ranging from LED lighting to electronic governors. “I would particularly like to thank the engineering teams at DCRail and UKRL for all the hard work that continues to go into developing this successful partnership,’’ added Fletcher.
“The signing of this contract builds upon a long and collaborative relationship between our respective teams,” said Gareth Roberts, Managing Director of UKRL. “Together, we’ve not only undertaken core maintenance but also increased asset availability by significantly reducing downtime. This partnership spirit, underpinned by unrivalled expertise, is now driving a joint focus on adding additional value and capacity to DCRail operations.”
DCRail is a freight operating company that specialises in the movement of construction materials by rail for customers in the UK. It is part of the London-based Cappagh Group of companies, which provides a wide range of construction services. UKRL has been serving the rail industry for the past ten years. Initially established as a locomotive leasing company, the business pivoted and adapted into maintenance to support a growing customer base.