UK Rail Leasing

UK Rail Leasing (UKRL) is a railway company in Leicester offering locomotive leasing and rail vehicle engineering services.

UK Rail Leasing
Overview of UK Rail Leasing's Leicester depot in April 2016
Overview
Dates of operation2013–
Other
Websitehttp://www.ukrl.co.uk/

History

UKRL was founded in September 2013 by Ed Stevenson and Mark Winter, taking a three-year lease on DB Schenker's long disused Leicester depot. By November a fleet of 16 former DB Schenker Class 56 and two Class 37/9 diesel locomotives had been purchased.[1][2][3]

In November 2014, its first locomotive (56081) was certified for main line use and hired to Freightliner.[3][4] By November 2015, a further two (56098 and 56104) had been certified for main line use.[5][6]

In June 2018, all 16 Class 56s were sold to GB Railfreight with some moving from Leicester to Electro-Motive Diesel's Longport facility.[7][8][9]

Services

Leasing

UKRL hired out its three overhauled Class 56s to other operators. This ceased with the sale of the locomotives in 2016.[7]

Maintenance services

As well as overhauling its own fleet, UKRL has undertaken overhaul work for Electric Traction Limited, Europhoenix and Rail Operations Group.[3]

Design Innovations
Coupler detail

Locomotive to multiple unit tightlock coupler

A significant proportion of Rail Operations Group (ROG) second generation multiple unit moves involved use of translator vehicles, as the locomotive was unable to connect directly to the tightlock coupler. On 10 July 2017 a pair of class 319 multiple units were hauled by a Class 37 leased to ROG fitted with the new coupler.[10][11]

References
  1. "UK Rail Leasing's in-demand 56s set for overhauls" Rail issue 739 8 January 2014 page 12
  2. "UK Rail Leasing breaks cover" Rail Express issue 213 February 2014 page 40
  3. "UK Rail Leasing launch Class 56 fleet back into main line service". rail.co.uk. 18 November 2014. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
  4. "Spotlight on UK Rail Leasing" The Railway Magazine issue 1365 December 2014 page 14
  5. "Main line return for Class 56" Rail issue 788 25 November 2015 page 31
  6. "Other operators". Class 56 Group. Archived from the original on 23 November 2017. Retrieved 23 November 2017.
  7. "GBRf buys 16 Class 56s from UK Rail Leasing" The Railway Magazine issue 1408 July 2018 page 94
  8. "GBRf acquires Grids and Tugs" Railways Illustrated issue 186 August 2018 page 16
  9. "GBRf purchases 56s from UK Rail Leasing" Today's Railways UK issue 200 August 2018 page 62
  10. "UK Rail Leasing Ltd – Tightlock". Railway Technology Magazine. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
  11. "UKRL DEBUTS LOCOMOTIVE-TO-MULTIPLE UNIT "TIGHTLOCK" DESIGN". UKRL. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
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