Stadler signs contract with GB Railfreight to provide full service for up to 30 Class 99 bi-mode Co’Co locomotives

Following the order secured last year to build and supply as many as 30 Class 99 bi-mode Co’Co locomotives, Stadler has signed a contract with GB Railfreight to provide full service for this rolling stock.

Stadler will be responsible for all aspects of service and maintenance of the 30 Class 99 bi-mode locomotives, having won the tender conducted by Beacon Rail and GB Railfreight last year to manufacture and deliver them. The Service contract will start in 2025, once the first locomotive has been handed to the customer. It will last up to 16 years. Beacon Rail will own these locomotives and GB Railfreight will be the lessee.

The award of this contract strengthens Stadler’s position as a leading provider of Service in the UK market and builds on its experience in locations in England, Scotland and Wales. Stadler has full service contracts in place in Liverpool (Merseyrail), Norwich (Greater Anglia) and Newcastle (Tyne and Wear Metro). There is also a technical support and spares supply agreement in Glasgow (Glasgow Subway) and a strategic partnership agreement in Wales (Wales and Borders). More than 400 people work for Stadler’s Service division in the UK.

To ensure both the high availability and reliability of the fleet, Stadler will provide tailored maintenance solutions at a new depot in Leicester, which will become the home of the Class 99 locomotives. It will manage overhauls, spare parts, material supplies, vehicle repairs, mobile service support, data and maintenance software.

The Class 99 is a versatile Co’Co’ locomotive, adapted to the British gauge and specifications. It combines 25kV AC electric and diesel operating modes and represents a new generation of locomotives. Underscoring Stadler’s green credentials, it offers economic and environmental benefits to rail operators.

Paul Patrick, Managing Director of Stadler Rail Service UK, said: “We have established a strong foothold in the UK over recent years, and are delighted to have been awarded another Service contract, based on our proven track record and expertise in this field. The locomotives that Stadler will be responsible for will pave the way to a greener and more efficient rail network, supporting the industry’s ambition of promoting modal shift from road to rail. We are pleased to be supporting the government’s targets to decarbonise the UK railway by 2040, which will benefit our clients, British business and society alike.”

John Smith, CEO of GB Railfreight, added: “The service agreement with Stadler for the Class 99 locomotives brings together its design and maintenance divisions to ensure that rail freight continues to lead the decarbonisation of supply chains.

“Continued private sector investment in the industry-leading Class 99s and their maintenance facilities, demonstrates a commitment to modernising and growing the rail freight sector in the UK to help deliver the government’s net zero ambitions.”