GB Railfreight (GBRf) is a rail freight company in the United Kingdom. As of 2022, it is owned by the global investment company Infracapital, itself a subsidiary of M&G plc, a UK investment group.
GB Railfreight was established in April 1999 as the rail freight operating subsidiary of the train operating company GB Railways. It was granted an operator's licence in June 2000, and started running Intermodal container trains in February 2002; the haulage of other freight traffic commenced later that year. GBRf acquired numerous Class 66 locomotives to haul its trains; another early type would be the Class 20 and Class 73 locomotives. In August 2003, GBRf, via its parent company GB Railways, was acquired by FirstGroup; it was later rebranded as First GBRf. In 2005, it began running services for Royal Mail and Metronet; two years later, First GBRf ran its first coal trains. In 2009, it was granted a passenger license, after which it operated such services under contract to First Great Western.
In June 2010, the company was acquired by Europorte, after which the GB Railfreight branding and livery were promptly reinstated. Following this purchase, it took on Europorte's fleet of Class 92 electric locomotives, as well as buying additional Class 66s and Class 56s amongst other types to expand its inventory as service volume rose. Contracts to haul new-build rolling stock for operators and operate rail traffic at multiple steelworks were awarded during the early 2010s; GBRf also begun operations on hauling the Caledonian Sleeper service in April 2015. During October 2016, the company was bought by EQT Partners, and was partly integrated with Hector Rail. In September 2019, GBRf's ownership changed hands again, this time to Infracapitial.
^"GB Railfreight Limited: Company no 3707899". Companies House. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
GBRailfreight (GBRf) is a rail freight company in the United Kingdom. As of 2022, it is owned by the global investment company Infracapital, itself a...
by GBRailfreight, and then Direct Rail Services. The last of more than 500 built over an 18-year period was No 66779, Evening Star, delivered to GB Railfreight...
five moving to GBRailfreight and one to Great Western Railway, leaving DRS with 57304, 57307, 57308 and 57309. In June 2023, GBRailfreight began leases...
in 2018, 16 locomotives, the majority of their fleet, were sold to GBRailfreight. In late 2008, Colas commenced operating steel trains from Immingham...
preservation. This was followed by 60 050.[citation needed] In July 2018, GBRailfreight bought all ten of Colas Rail's Class 60 locomotives, Colas having replaced...
usage in the Channel tunnel. Locomotives of this type are operated by GBRailfreight/Europorte 2 and DB Cargo UK. In France, a number were also owned and...
Stamford: Key Publishing. pp. 4–21. "GBRailfreight brings hardy 'Yeoman Highlander' back to the UK". London: GBRailfreight. 19 August 2014. Archived from...
brought by GBRailfreight. They have since been repainted along with First GBRf liveried 73141, 212 and 73213 at St. Leonards Depot into GBRailfreight livery...
company First GBRf was acquired in 2010 from FirstGroup and rebranded as GBRailfreight. The subsidiary Europorte Services was established (2010) as the operating...
used as standby locomotives to rescue failed Class 325 units working GBRailfreight parcels trains. The fleet increased to four at one point, but finally...
catenary wires without activating the diesel engine. On 29 April 2022, GBRailfreight announced an order for 30 new Class 99 locomotives, financed by Beacon...
Railways franchise from January 1997 and launching Hull Trains and GBRailfreight. GB Railways was also involved in the management of the Estonian rail...
Class 69 was developed to fulfil the needs of the rail freight operator GBRailfreight (GBRf), which was unable to purchase additional Class 66 diesel locomotives...
"Freightliner unveils first class 90". Modern Railways. p. 20. "Our trains". GBRailfreight. Retrieved 13 September 2020. Marsden 2019, p. 26 "66s from Sweden"...
concession. During August 2003, FirstGroup purchased GB Railways, which owned Anglia Railways and GBRailfreight and held 80% of the shares in Hull Trains. In...
deal to lease all five locomotives to the British freight operator GBRailfreight, Colas purchased five replacement locomotives (66 846–66 850, formerly...
the UK" (Press release). Alstom. 12 February 2015. GB Rail Freight (17 February 2015). "GBRailfreight boosts rail services business with Serco Caledonian...
2015, GBRailfreight commenced a contract to haul the Caledonian Sleeper with 67004 repainted and renamed for use on the service. When GBRailfreight started...
Hector Rail strategically aligned with the British freight operator GBRailfreight (GBRF) following its acquisition by EQT Partners; it was sold four years...
using the first example of the type was conducted by the train operator GBRailfreight during early 2022. During July 2019, British locomotive manufacturer...
2020. Retrieved 30 April 2020. "GBRailfreight Capt. Tom Moore miniature train raises £140,000 for NHS – GBRailfreight Limited". 12 May 2020. Archived...
support scheme known as Project Birch. Since 2010, the plant has used GBRailfreight for freight services. This includes both incoming supply of scrap steel...
Dewsbury, Dairycoates (Hull) and Marsh Lane/Hunslet (Leeds) by GBRailfreight. GBRailfreight also operate train services of limestone to Small Heath and...
Services set up by British Nuclear Fuels. GBRailfreight was a new freight company established in 1998 by GB Railways. It was later owned by FirstGroup...
Hunt (2005). Wood (1989). Marsden (2011). Ian Allan (1969), p. 5. GBRailfreight Ian Allan (1969), p. 13. British Railways Locomotives and Other Motive...
(Freightliner), to four main operators, DB Cargo, Direct Rail Services and GBRailfreight, although other entrants have tried to run intermodal trains. Many of...
freight operators including DB Cargo UK, Freightliner, Colas Rail and GBRailfreight amongst others to operate engineers' trains in support of maintenance...
British Rail Class 66 No.66779, last member of its class, named by GBRailfreight in May 2016 List of preserved BR Standard Class 9F locomotives The WG...
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