The rail freight operator has promoted two senior executives to strengthen the leadership team during the transition. Liam Day becomes Interim Managing Director, while Ian Langton assumes the role of Chief Operating Officer. These moves signal GBRf’s intent to maintain operational continuity as the search for a permanent CEO progresses.

Sector-leading freight operator

GB Railfreight is a large privately owned UK rail freight operator, with a diverse portfolio spanning intermodal, bulk, and automotive services. The business operates a fleet of modern locomotives and rolling stock across major UK routes and key freight terminals, including Daventry, Teesport, and Birmingham. Under John Smith, GBRf has grown its market share, invested in digital systems, state-of-the-art motive power, and established a reputation for operational reliability.

While no successor has been named, industry context suggests the next CEO is most likely to emerge from within the rail sector. Historically, UK rail companies—including both freight and passenger operators—have shown a strong preference for candidates with prior rail experience, citing the technical complexity and regulatory environment as key considerations.

Internal promotions underline continuity

The elevation of Day and Langton was highlighted in GBRf’s press release and discussed in industry commentary on LinkedIn and trade outlets. Day, formerly Asset Director, now oversees daily operations as Interim Managing Director. Langton, moving from Production Director to COO, takes responsibility for operational delivery and commercial interfaces.

Industry observers note that these appointments reflect a deliberate strategy to maintain stability during the CEO search. By promoting from within, GBRf signals that internal experience and institutional knowledge are valued in managing the transition and day-to-day operations.

Likely sources of the next CEO

Within this context, there are three broad possibilities: a candidate from within GBRf, an executive from elsewhere in the UK rail sector, or a senior leader from the wider logistics or transport sector. Promotions of Day and Langton demonstrate the company has internal options capable of stepping into the role, giving them a plausible path to leadership.

Analysts suggest that while internal candidates are often favoured for continuity, rail operators also occasionally recruit from outside the business—typically from other UK freight or passenger operators rather than unrelated logistics companies. The pattern indicates that GBRf’s next CEO is likely to have rail experience, either internally or elsewhere in the sector, rather than coming from a completely different industry.

Transition strategy and sector outlook

Smith will remain in post through the transition, providing guidance and maintaining relationships with customers, regulators, and stakeholders. The board has stressed that the search aims to balance continuity with the opportunity to bring fresh strategic vision to the business, particularly as GBRf navigates growth under Infracapital ownership.

Industry commentary reflects cautious optimism. By combining an internal leadership pipeline with the potential to recruit from experienced rail professionals, GBRf appears to be following a well-established pattern in UK rail. It is ensuring the new CEO is both familiar with the sector and capable of sustaining the operator’s long-term growth.

The Peterborough-based GBRf has welcomed locomotives 99003 and 99004 at the Bristol Port Company’s Royal Portbury Dock, arriving safely on board the LNG-powered Nereus Highway. The locomotives will now undergo a series of UK-based tests before joining 99001 and 99002, which are nearing readiness for service.

Innovations for operators and crews

Based on Stadler’s Eurodual platform and adapted for the UK network, the Class 99s feature dual-drive capability, allowing them to operate on both electrified 25 kV AC lines and non-electrified routes using a high-power, low-emissions diesel engine. With 6,000 kW at the wheel and a tractive effort of 500 kN, these locomotives are designed for heavy freight performance and greater efficiency, supporting the UK government’s ambition to grow rail freight by 75% by 2050.

The Class 99 offers enhanced visibility from a centrally positioned cab seat, supported by cameras providing direct views of pantographs, shunting zones, and the line ahead. Safety systems AWS and TPWS are factory-fitted, and ETCS installation will follow.

Industry leadership gets an early Santa present

“The new locomotives will enable businesses to transport freight more efficiently,” said John Smith, CEO of GB Railfreight, “With both renewable fuels and electric capability, our Class 99s are built for a changing network and to meet the evolving demands of our customers.”

“Receiving 99003 and 99004 is a welcome pre-Christmas gift,” GBRf Commercial Director Alex Kirk added. “These locomotives deliver performance and environmental benefits for our customers and herald a rail freight revolution in 2026.”

The locomotives were transferred from the quay to the port railhead using a Port of Bristol Terberg tractor, reflecting the precision required in handling large, heavy rail equipment at ports without direct rail access. This follows a similar operation for 99001 and 99002 in June 2025.

There is plenty to celebrate on the British railway network, but the “S&C” has a special place in the heart of British culture. The route was won at tragically high sacrifice, but images of the line are as recognisable as any icons of the United Kingdom. The event over the August public holiday weekend underscored the line’s enduring role in moving industrial and agricultural outputs from the North West to the economic heartlands of the South East, a role it has fulfilled since Britain’s railway boom in the 19th century.

Honouring a freight legacy

The naming of GBRf locomotive 66791 “Settle & Carlisle 150” was a highlight of the celebrations. The engine is among the fleet deployed on the route to carry aggregates on the line, which includes routing over the majestic Ribblehead Viaduct (pictured).

GBRf clients, Heidelberg Materials, played a role in the celebrations, not least for recently having restored the rail link at their Horton Quarry. Their strategy underlines the shift towards sustainable logistics in aggregate supply, and a modern use for the Settle & Carlisle. That use was unforeseen at the line’s centenary, when closure was threatened.

Building a railway against the odds

The Settle and Carlisle line sprang from the embattled ambitions of the Midland Railway, stymied in its access to Scotland by the rival nineteenth-century operator LNWR. Faced with competition and unreliable arrangements, the Midland pushed through challenging terrain to construct a 72-mile main-line railway, opening to goods in August 1875 and to passengers in April 1876.

The challenging terrain required 14 tunnels and 20 viaducts, of which the imposing Ribblehead Viaduct is the most recognisable. The line was built by hand by thousands of navvies (“navigators” – so named for their earlier role in building the canals of Britain). Ribblehead Viaduct spans 400m across Batty Moss. It was built at great human cost, and today it is a nationally protected historic structure.

Cross-border functional freight relay

Far from closure, the line is integral to the national network. Aside from a scheduled passenger service and a raft of freight paths, the Settle and Carlisle line is a critical relief route for the West Coast Main Line. A campaign exists in Scotland to re-establish a sister line – the Waverley Route – which would extend that alternative route availability effectively from Leeds to Edinburgh. “Like rail freight, the Settle and Carlisle line has played a key role in driving the economy,” said John Smith, the Chief Executive of GBRf. “The line isn’t just heritage—it’s an active, functional relay in Britain’s freight network.”

“The Settle-Carlisle line is one of the world’s great railway journeys,” said Bryan Gray, Chairman of the Settle and Carlisle Railway Trust, a voluntary body that preserves the historic elements of the line alongside its operational commitments. “It also supports the many communities along the line and has been an important freight line. We are delighted that freight traffic is increasing, and the naming of a freight locomotive is a fitting tribute to those who built the line and have kept traffic moving for 150 years.”

The picture is a yard full of locomotives gleaming in the mid-July sun, flanked by a chief executive and a lord, both of them talking freight and smiling broadly. The scene at GB Railfreight’s Peterborough headquarters yesterday was crowned with a pair of brand new Class 99 bi-mode locomotives making their official unveiling – although they’ve already been on a tour of the UK visiting more venues than Oasis.

Uncertain signals from parliament

There’s a lot of optimism in a yard like this. Plenty of pride, too. There’s a sense that even if the national policy isn’t quite with the programme, the industry most certainly is. Guests eagerly passed between the freshly liveried machines and the display banners. The message is clear. Rail freight is ready, willing, and investing.

It’s a fitting atmosphere in which to contemplate a wider truth. The UK government cannot decide whether to pull the signals off or on. Its strategies seem to be stuck at a junction, unable to decide which way to switch the points. Freight operators are putting two yellows up to that prevarication, and proceeding under their own caution.

Upward, not paused

All around the country, the mood music from Westminster suggests stalling rather than accelerating. The Ely upgrade – critical to unlocking east-west freight capacity – is indefinitely delayed. Electrification of the Midland Main Line remains unfinished, and signs from Sheffield suggest no sense of urgency. Meanwhile, official government communications trumpet funding for electric vehicle charging points and ever more road improvements, like the A66 trans-Pennine dualling programme and Midlands motorway enhancements.

Admittedly, hardly anyone involved in the logistics of Britain will complain about upgrading the sinuous road that connects east and west. They may even point out that the rail project, also crossing the Pennine spine of England, is already underway. They may further suggest that the East West Rail project, between Oxford and Cambridge, is set to provide another rail route of significance for freight traffic, albeit with no wires installed.

Looking on the bright side

Rail freight, in contrast, doesn’t have a ‘road to net-zero’. It has a track – and it’s laying it itself. GB Railfreight is committing to a future-proofed fleet with the Class 99 – the Stadler-built bi-mode locomotive that offers zero-emission running under the wires where it can, and with high-performance diesel traction where it can’t. At the same time, new rail terminals are springing up alongside distribution parks – Northampton recently took its first intermodal train, and DP World is incentivising container customers to move by rail rather than road from Southampton.

“I just think it’s the right solution for the market,” said John Smith, CEO of GB Railfreight, talking about his new baby. Yes, he agreed that electricification infills like Ely and Felixstowe would render the Cummins diesel in the Class 99 less useful. “I don’t see electrification on the horizon, do you? For now, we can provide quicker, longer trains for customers who want to decarbonise.”

Red signals, green ambitions

Yet this enthusiasm comes just as some markets are shrinking. Oil traffic from Lindsey and Grangemouth is winding down. Industrial output is changing, with heavy industries contracting. Despite this, the rail freight sector remains bullish.

The reason is not often heralded by the sector. Rail freight has just over 9% market share (based on distance-weight carried). That, however, makes the room for growth enormous. The government has set an ambitious target of a 75% growth in rail freight by 2050. That may not make much of a dent in overall net-zero targets, but for rail freight, it will be transformational.

Lording it over infrastructure

Even in infrastructure terms, there is cause for hope. There are billions going into pathing enhancements on the East Coast Main Line – the London to Scotland route that’s always been a prestige passenger line, but is increasingly important for freight. A long-standing pinch point for north-south flows. In the long term, net-zero commitments will inevitably place a greater burden on policymakers to back rail, the cleanest freight mode by far (cue comments from friends in the waterways sector).

Now, there’s a piece of hardware that can ‘do freight’ on that prestige passenger route. “I have no doubt that this locomotive will become an icon of British rail freight,” said Lord Peter Hendy, the UK Rail Minister, who praised the ’99 behind him, and did not agree with my pessimism. “Putting GBRf at the front of the green transition is a great thing. There is a wind of change around in the railway. Actually, the government is serious about rail freight. Investing in things that last thirty years is a really powerful mark of the longevity of rail freight.”

Where we’re going, we don’t need roads

Still, the sector would be right to ask if the government could do more. My answer is yes, absolutely. A good start would be direct engagement – a strategy for freight that isn’t an afterthought. Infrastructure development should be planned with freight in mind, not in conflict. Beyond the wires and junctions and pathing plans, there’s also a communications gap. While passenger rail gets glossy TV campaigns – “Nothing Beats Being There” – freight is left on the shelf.

Imagine if the same emotional energy were applied to promoting rail freight – the reduced congestion, the cleaner air, the reliability. Imagine if the industry were given the marketing tools to reach new customers and the operational framework to make access easier. This is where ministers could really move the dial – by not only investing in infrastructure, but in advocacy. Go back to the future, and check out the high street in the 1960s, with speedy electric trains on every other billboard – not passengers, but hauling high-speed containers.

Put freight in the picture

Operators like GB Railfreight are doing their part. Investing, innovating, and demonstrating resilience. The launch of the Class 99 is not just a new locomotive – it’s a rolling rebuttal to the idea that rail freight is stuck in the past.

On a day like yesterday, standing between the future and the policymakers who can shape it, you get the sense that optimism isn’t misplaced – it’s essential. For rail freight, too, the message is the same. When it comes to clean, efficient, resilient logistics, there’s only one answer. Nothing Beats Being There.

The freight sector today (Wednesday 22 January) called on the UK government to “supercharge” rail freight growth. According to the report, rail freight operators are eager to invest in the UK and to help decarbonise supply chains. The report says a thriving rail freight sector can support the delivery of the UK government’s policy, including kickstarting economic growth, achieving net zero and building new houses.

Costs must be addressed

New analysis, commissioned by Rail Partners in its report “A Greener Track”, shows that market conditions have become increasingly challenging for rail freight operators. The cost of moving goods by rail has risen over three times faster than by road in the last decade. This, says the report, has partly been driven by government policy. On the other hand, the road haulage sector may argue that their service has become more affordable, therefore widening the gap between the two modes.

That is acknowledged in the report. “To secure rail freight growth, the widening gap between road and rail freight costs must be addressed,” says Rail Partners’ synopsis. “The UK government has committed to setting a rail freight growth target, but concrete actions are needed to help rail freight compete with more carbon intensive modes of transport.”

Legislation on the horizon

Rail Partners and freight operators are calling on the government to use the upcoming legislative consultation on rail reform, expected later this month, and other policy measures, to create a framework that builds on Labour’s Getting Britain Moving document to actively champion rail freight growth. This includes retaining existing legal protections such as long-term access rights and a stable charging regime.

Each year the rail freight sector delivers £2.45bn in economic benefits to the UK economy, finds the report. Although the previous government’s “levelling up” agenda (more equitably balancing economic growth across the UK) has been played down, the report emphasises that 90% of that economic benefit is invested outside of London and the South East. “Freight operators create jobs across the UK, directly employing 6,500 people,” it says. “Many more roles [are] supported in the wider logistics supply chain.”

Work with government

“Rail freight is one of the lowest-carbon forms of land transport,” reiterated Andy Bagnall, Rail Partners chief executive. “With rail costs rising three times faster than road, Britain increasingly risks losing out on the benefits the sector has to offer in terms of growth and supporting government’s wider missions.”

Bagnall echoed the report findings, that freight operating companies want to invest in the UK and work with the government to make rail more competitive, to help decarbonise the transport sector and reduce congestion on roads. “Rail freight growth will not happen on its own,” he said. “Without measures to address the widening cost gap between rail and road, freight customers could be priced out of making the right decision for the environment and the economy.”

Rising fuel costs, track access

“A Greener Track” report says there is a broad consensus among politicians and industry that more goods should be moved by rail. This has led to successive governments committing to set long-term targets to grow rail freight. There are regulated targets to grow freight by 7.5% in England and Wales, and by at least 8.7% in Scotland by 2029.

However, the report argues that these targets are set against a backdrop of more stable environments for other modes of transport. “While road freight operators face the challenge of rising fuel costs, governments have repeatedly chosen to freeze or reduce fuel duty to mitigate this,” says Rail Partners synopsis. “In contrast, there has been a 26% real terms increase in track access charges paid by freight operators since 2015. Affordability is key in a price sensitive, low-margin freight and logistics sector.”

Policies make rail more competitive

Commenting on the report, John Smith, the chief executive of GB Railfreight, said there was a bias towards road transport expressed in government policy. GBRf, as reported earlier by RailFreight.com, is investing in cleaner traction, but still faces an uneven task in growing the sector. “This report sets out the need for a level playing field between different modes of freight transport to drive growth,” he said.

Clouds are gathering over rail investment, as part of a wider review of government infrastructure spending. However, the rail freight sector still has considerable room for growth. “Government policy decisions, such as the freeze on fuel duty, continue to benefit road freight over rail freight,” added John Smith. “As rail freight operators, we want to continue to invest in the UK and stand ready to work with government on policies that will make rail more competitive to support growth and the delivery of their missions.”

GBRf is proud of its new baby. So much so that the rail freight operator has shared pictures of the locomotive leaving the Stadler works in Valencia, Spain. The unit, based on Stadler’s Eurodual design and customised for the UK, is the first of a fleet of thirty locomotives on order.

Alternative traction capability

The remarkably powerful units, delivering 8000bhp (6000kw) under electric traction, also have a secondary diesel engine on board. That alternative traction capability will allow the units to deliver bulk loads almost anywhere on the UK network. Class 99 locomotives are expected to reduce emissions by up to 58 per cent in service when compared to the industry’s most popular diesel workhorse.

“The Class 99s are a game-changing moment for the UK rail freight industry,” said the ever-enthusiastic John Smith, GBRf chief executive. “Rail freight has long been the cleanest, safest and most efficient way of transporting goods. These locomotives offer our customers the chance to run faster, wholly sustainable, heavy-haul services across the length and breadth of the country.”

Significant payload volume at mainline speeds

GB Railfreight, which celebrated its 25th-anniversary last year, expects to start introducing the class 99 into revenue-earning service later this year. “99001 left Stadler’s factory in Valencia this week and is making its way to Velim in the Czech Republic,” said a company statement. “[At Velim] ,it will undergo a rigorous programme of testing and commissioning. We expect 99001 will be in the UK in the early summer of this year.”

GBRf says the Class 99 units are the first heavy-haul freight locomotives capable of moving significant volume at mainline speeds on electrified and non-electrified sections of the UK rail network. In this case, that’s 75mph or 120kph. “The Class 99s aligns with the [UK] government’s mission to become a clean energy superpower and will empower businesses and consumers to make greener purchasing decisions,” said the company.

The operator has already committed to running the hybrid locomotives on renewable energy sources. Unit number 99001 has a few months ahead of it in the Czech Republic. The Velim test track is an independent facility located to the east of Prague. It is most famous for its large oval track layout with full overhead electrification. The formation is over thirteen kilometres long. It allows for extended non-stop testing under load and at high speed. The scenery is a bit repetitive. GBRf is not complaining about that, though.

It has taken a while, but after reuniting burdened travellers with their heavy suitcases, umbrellas and overcoats, Andrew Haines has been rewarded with a Knighthood in the Honours list. Sir Andrew, as he is now known, still works in the railway industry, as Chief Executive of Network Rail, the British infrastructure agency. As such, he still has responsibility for the Left Luggage office at Victoria Station.

Not really bowing and curtsying

The young technician from York is also still hard at work in the railway industry. He has passed his apprenticeship and now works in an office job on the freight side of the industry. He also has the most common name in the English speaking world. John Smith now serves as Chief Executive Officer of GB Railfreight (GBRf).

John has been made an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the King’s New Year Honours List for services to the rail freight industry. It’s already been stressed that it is not necessary to refer to him as “Sir John”. However, RailFreight.com understands that bowing and curtsying will not be discouraged.

Latest in a long line of rail industry awards

National opinion is divided on the British Honours system. However, it does offer an opportunity for people from all parts of society, who make a positive contribution, to be recognised for their efforts. For every high-profile industry leader, there are dozens of carers, teachers, volunteers and unsung heroes nominated by their colleagues and neighbours. Whatever flaws there may be, there really is an opportunity for everyone to be recognised – be that a luggage attendant or a chief executive.

Andrew Haines of Network Rail and John Smith of GB Railfreight may be the rail industry’s highest-profile recipients in this year’s Honours, but they are far from the first. Nigel Gresley, designer of the famous steam locomotives Flying Scotsman and the world record-holding Mallard, was made Sir Nigel in 1936. Somewhat more recently, for a distinguished career in advocating the industry, and serving as the Director General of the Rail Freight Group, Maggie Simpson was appointed OBE in 2020.

Awards for work at home and away

Other Network Rail personnel have been Honoured too. Among them, Janet Trowse, a human resources professional, is now made a “Member of the Order of the British Empire” (MBE). Janet was instrumental in making an impactful legacy around menopause awareness. Over nine years, she has created a UK-wide network of allies and ambassadors, reaching 150,000 employees across the rail industry.

Support for the embattled railways of Ukraine has been recognised. It’s earned Peter Gibbons, NR Chief Security Officer, an MBE for delivering a £10m (€11.7m) aid programme to Ukrainian Railways. Closer to home, Kathleen O’Malley, Project Manager in Network Rail’s Southern Region, has received a British Empire Medal (BEM) for her outstanding work in creating the Routes Out of Homelessness charter for the railway, which has helped more than 300 homeless individuals in Birmingham, Manchester and London. Kathleen O’Malley said it’s been incredibly rewarding to get to work on such a special project that helps so many vulnerable people. “To receive this recognition is really lovely.”

Five million tonnes by rail

The two companies have developed a close relationship over the past decade. Primarily, this contract between them will involve GBRf moving materials from Aggregate Industries’ locations at Bardon Hill in the English East Midlands and the Isle of Grain in Kent, not far from existing operations at Purfleet. The partnership will see GBRf move over five million tonnes of aggregate materials over the lifetime of the contract.

“These services will reduce the carbon footprint of the UK’s supply chains,” said a joint statement. The companies say they will help the UK government] hit its 2050 net zero obligations with ambitions to increase goods moved by rail freight by 75 per cent by 2050. They are eager to stress that an aggregate service removes up to 100 long-distance HGV [Heavy Goods Vehicle] moments from congested roads and, at the same time, reduces emissions by three quarters (diesel locomotive compared to equivalent road transport of the same volume).

Building homes and major infrastructure

In total, across all its aggregate services, GBRf moves over five million tonnes of aggregate and sand, in addition to 600,000 tonnes of cement every year. With the new government in the UK recently targeting building 1.5m homes over the next five years, construction raw materials will be in heavy demand. “I am delighted that Aggregate Industries have committed to extending our partnership, said John Smith, Chief Executive Officer at GB Railfreight. “This is a long-standing relationship which we hope will continue for many years, building homes across the country in addition to some of the UK’s biggest infrastructure projects.”

Simon Blake, who is the General Manager (Rail) at Aggregate Industries, reiterated the relationship between the companies. “We value the professionalism, enthusiasm, and innovation demonstrated daily by the staff of GB Railfreight in delivering our services,” he said. “Together with GB Railfreight, Aggregate Industries are committed to providing excellence in customer service and making sustainable construction a reality.”

The blue and gold of GBRf is going green. It’s not a livery change, just a change of fuel policy for its new locomotives. As yet only seen at trade shows, the new Class 99 bi-mode will be bio-mode. The initial fleet of thirty Stadler-built workhorses will be running emissions-free or at least emissions-green when they start entering service in 2025.

Keeping up with the traffic

Looking cleaner than it ever will again, 92002 is set to be the pride of the fleet for GBRf, albeit still residing at the factory gates in Spain. The Peterborough based operator, which describes itself as one of the UK’s leading transporters of consumer and business goods, has made a bold commitment to run the locomotive and its classmates solely on electricity or renewable fuels such as HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil).

GBRf has made several claims about the class. They say they will be the first heavy-haul freight locomotive capable of transporting significant volumes at mainline speeds on both electrified and non-electrified sections of the UK rail network. Other bi-mode locomotives are in service, but GBRf says they will be able to deliver their line speed of 75mph (120km/h) under either power source.

Eagerly anticipated arrival

The Stadler-built Class 99 should give GBRf a significant commercial advantage. Being able to maintain line speed under the wires or not gives the operator a dual advantage of reliability and availability. The new locomotives will, says GBRf, significantly reduce emissions by at least 58%. “With the Class 99s running exclusively on HVO on non-electrified lines, we can now provide our customers with a fully decarbonised solution for freight transport,” said John Smith, Chief Executive Officer at GB Railfreight.

There is still almost a year to go before the class is introduced into revenue-earning service, but GBRf is already painting the new arrivals as a game-changer. They call it a major milestone in sustainable rail freight transport. “This breakthrough is pivotal to our decarbonisation strategy and will help reduce the emissions associated with delivering goods to homes and businesses across the country,” said John Smith. “This marks the next step on our journey to lead the rail freight sector towards a greener future.” Cleaner fuels, like HVO, are becoming increasingly popular across the entire logistics chain, as recently reported in our sister service, WolrdCargo News. The Class 99s are being leased from Beacon Rail, and they are set to enter service in late 2025.

Blossomed onto the railway scene

Tonbridge, so often confused with nearby and next stop Royal Tunbridge Wells (“Tunbridge” to the locals), is a vital junction in the middle of the Garden of England, as the county of Kent is often called. Right in the middle of the complex track layout, a new building has blossomed, and it’s as blue as the bluebell flowers for which the countryside is renowned. It is a little more angular, a polite way of saying it’s a square box, but it’s blossomed onto the railway scene and is every bit as welcome.

The site was ceremonially opened by GBRf’s Chief Executive Officer, John Smith, and Maggie Simpson OBE, the Director General of the industry’s representative body, the Rail Freight Group. The new maintenance facility will complement existing sites in Doncaster and Peterborough (both on the East Coast Main Line), significantly improving the operational efficiency of GBRf’s locomotive fleet in the Southeast of England. Significant carbon savings will result from reduced journey length required for maintenance.

Additional capacity, reliability and resilience

“Our new facility at Tonbridge demonstrates our commitment to continued investment and innovation in the rail network,” said John Smith of GBRf. “The Tonbridge site will lead to increased efficiency for our locomotive fleet, which will benefit our customers, and operation of rail head treatment services will improve passenger experiences and safety across the region.” The facility, which cost around £2.5m (around €3.2m), will provide a purpose-built hub to maintain GBRf’s diesel and bi-mode fleet. The building will be operated by several partners, including EMD, Wabtec and St. Leonard’s Railway Engineering. Civils were concluded by Cairn Cross.

“The rail freight sector is committed to growth,” said Maggie Simpson from the RFG. “It’s fantastic to see private freight operators like GB Railfreight investing in facilities such as the new maintenance hub at Tonbridge. These facilities will provide additional capacity, reliability and resilience for rail freight customers across the country.” Tonbridge is a strategically important site for GBRf, which provides rail head treatment services for Network Rail from the site.