Posted 4th February 2009 | 10 Comments
Goodbye to EWS look as loco makes its colourful entrance
The newly painted A CLASS 59 freight loco.
A CLASS 59 freight loco has become the first to be given the new DB Schenker livery, a move that will be followed gradually with the rest of the fleet.
DB Schenker is the new name for EWS, which was launched in 1996 when railway privatisation started. The new company, which is wholly owned by German Railways, Deutsche Bahn, was formed last year.
The Class 59 locomotive is used for hauling aggregate materials trains in the south of the country.
The distinctive red loco was put on two-day display on the National Railway Museum’s turntable in York as a ‘temporary exhibit’ in recognition of the NRM’s important role in recording the ever-evolving railway scene.
A DB Schenker spokesman said that the fleet of some 386 locomotives – including Class 59, 60, 66 and 67s – would gradually be reliveried, but there was no specific timescale.
“We are a proud supporter of the NRM and are pleased that its visitors were the first to view our new livery and brand, which is targeted to growing UK rail freight.”
- The replacement of existing traditional stock with high-capacity, track-friendly hop-per wagons is a key element of CEMEX UK’s pioneering six-year contract with DB Schenker, which began in 2007.
Each of the 82 new CEMEX-branded vehicles is able to carry up to 76 tonnes of material for production of asphalt and ready-mixed concrete, transporting more than two million tonnes a year – over 10 per cent of all materials moved by the company.
CEMEX has an extensive network of railheads and depots across the country and is planning to invest in three new depots this year.
Reader Comments:
Views expressed in submitted comments are that of the author, and not necessarily shared by Railnews.
John Totten, Glasgow, UK
Re other comments about DB being owned by the German State, we have a rail company in the UK which is publicly owned and that company is Direct Rail Services.
Chris, Leamington Spa
Well, at least it's European owned, unlike EWS which was an AMERICAN company... In terms of swastika's, PeterGunn, blimey - that really IS bad taste and unnecessary...
mick, leicester, uk
so ews is german owned most things here are owned by other countrys
so whats so bad about it.
PeterGunn, Watford, UK
What colour's the Swastika on the side going to be?
andy ganley, cheam, england
Just read in another rail publication that all 100 Class 60 s are to be put
in store due to the economic downturn,so whats the point in wasting thousands
of tins of paint+what was wrong with the EWS brand anyway?
Tom, Bristol
Well since it's owned by DB which is owned by the german government at least people know the profits are going to german citizens. Great, our railways are government owned again. Pity its not our government.
billy nomates, birmingham, United Kingdom
never mind the paint what about the redundancies?
experienced rail staff going up the road should be a more important headline than a repainted locomotive!!!
jacee, london, england
instead of relivery why dont they save there drivers from redundancy
Andy, Telford
Having English Welsh and Scottish on the side of a Loco, it feels part of this land, but having DB on the side and people knowing its German!!!!! I'm not sold on the idea.
ryan willoughby, high wycombe
very colourful at least we rail engineers can see it comin lol