EWS
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Image:EWSlogo.jpg English, Welsh and Scottish Railway (EWS) is the largest British rail freight company. EWS bought a number of British Rail divisions at the time of privatisation, including Load-Haul, Mainline Freight, Rail Express Systems, and Trans-Rail. Subsequently they purchased Railfreight Distribution and National Power's railfreight operation.
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Description
Image:66082 66186 66057 a.JPG EWS was originally created as a subsidiary of Wisconsin Central Ltd in 1996, and was acquired by Canadian National Railway when it bought Wisconsin Central in 2001.
EWS has bought 250 Class 66 locomotives replacing the elderly fleet acquired from BR. The British Rail Class 66 is a development of the British Rail Class 59.
EWS mainly operate freight services, hauling everything from coal to sleepers, track and ballast for railway engineering work. Some operators use EWS locomotives for hauling passenger services, such as Arriva Trains Wales on the Rhymney Line during peak times during the week and at weekends.
EWS also operate the Royal Train and previously operated the Travelling Post Office and other mail services for Royal Mail. This contract was not renewed by Royal Mail in early 2004, though there have been small scale trials involving Royal Mail. EWS also carry mail and parcels for the UK subsidiary of German parcels carrier DHL.
EWS operates services throughout the UK, and carries items such as cars, chemicals, supermarket goods, steel, railway engineering supplies, coal, aggregates, timber and also deliver trains arriving in the UK from outwith the country.
On 26 October 2005, the French Minister of Transport announced that EWS International had been granted a safety certificate and would become the third rail freight operator in France. A new company, Euro Cargo Rail, would be formed to market the new services on routes in northern France, such as Calais to Tourcoing, and Calais to Dunkerque.
Traction and rolling stock
EWS has a large fleet of both diesel and electric traction, from old British Rail models to the very latest Brush Traction and General Motors models.
Some of these locomotives were inherited from British Rail, and others have been purchased by EWS as part of a fleet renewal program.
Diesel traction
- Class 08 Diesel-shunter
- Class 09 Diesel-shunter
- Class 31 Diesel (now withdrawn)
- Class 33 Diesel (now withdrawn)
- Class 37 Diesel
- Class 47 Diesel (now withdrawn)
- Class 56 Diesel (now withdrawn)
- Class 58 Diesel (now withdrawn)
- Class 59 Diesel
- Class 60 Diesel
- Class 66 Diesel
- Class 67 Diesel
Electric traction
- Class 73 Electro-diesel (now withdrawn)
- Class 86 Electric (now withdrawn)
- Class 87 Electric (now withdrawn)
- Class 90 Electric
- Class 92 Electric
See also
External links
| Freight Operating Companies of the United Kingdom: | |||||
| Direct Rail Services | English, Welsh and Scottish Railway | Fastline | Freightliner | GB Railfreight | Mendip Rail |