Direct Rail Services (DRS), the UK’s leading rail freight operator, has recently ordered a fleet to of newly designed mixed traffic diesel locomotives for use in its key intermodal and passenger train operations.
The Vossloh Espana Eurolight UK locomotives are a derivative of the Eurolight locomotive (already running in Germany) and have been developed for the UK in conjunction with Beacon Rail Leasing and DRS.
Due to arrive in the UK in late 2013 the locos feature a 3750hp Caterpillar c175 engine and ABB AC traction equipment delivering a top speed of 100 mph and genuine mixed traffic haulage capabilities.
The locos will feature the latest emission standards and set new standards for driver environment.
The initial order has been placed for 15 locos with further options for future orders.
Why are Brush Traction not being given contracts to build frieght trains anymore..are they not capable of making them?
We all recall that following privatisation, Ed Burkhardt acquired EWS and flooded the country with the ubiquitous Class 66s and the other freight carriers followed suit. At the time, Brush Traction realised that they could not compete with the big American builders and consequently made a decision to permanently cease designing and building locos and to concentrate entirely on refurbishments. Since being acquired by Wabtech, it is highly unlikely that they will ever re-enter the new-build market.
The story heard atÂ
EWS was that Ed Burkhardt wanted a deal from Brush i.e. a price reduction
and Brush said no, as EWS was no longer a nationalised company, Ed Burkhardt
was not forced to use a UK manufacture  and took his business and money, elsewhere.
 Every new freight
loco that is bought out, is supposed to set new standards for driver
environment, it has not done so yet.
As for DRS being the UK`s leading rail freight operator,
this is not how DBSchenker (who bought EWS) see it
I seem to recall a somewhat different story. When his company purchased EWS, Ed Burkhardt stated that he did not like any British-built locos because they were powered by inefficient versions of marine engines, whereas locos built by EMD contained powerplants specifically designed for rail and were therefore a cheaper option. With regard to Brush, I am not sure that they had a new design on the drawing board at the time, which could have competed with the mass-produced Class 66.
Was not also the inability of Brush to build at the same rate as GM part of the equation?. NoteWinsconsin did not buy EWS, They purchased Mainline freight, Transrail & Loadhaul then laterRail Express Systems, these merged to become EWS.
Ed Burghart was very outspoken about the class 60 stating “they should never have been built” to one magazine, He also indicated (correctly or not ) that most of the locomotives EWS inherited were” life expired & poorly maintained” & promissed a fleet of 280 new locomotives.
Surely you mean frieght locomotives.