DRS Case Study
Direct Rail Services (DRS) began operating in October 1995, when parent company British Nuclear Fuels PLC (BNFL) created a strategic rail transport service, following the privatisation of the rail network in the UK.
The majority of DRS’s work involves servicing the country’s nuclear power stations - removing spent fuel to BNFL’s Sellafield reprocessing facility in west Cumbria. DRS commenced a pioneering road to rail transport operation with road haulier WH Malcolm in February 2001, running services between Grangemouth and Daventry.
The Malcolm Group recently opened a freight terminal in Scotland, with the aim of removing 10,000 lorry journeys from road to rail. DRS operate 12 trains weekly (six Northbound and six Southbound between this facility and the Crick complex- part of the Daventry International Terminal- via the West Coast Main Line. High profile customers of the Malcolm’s service include: Asda, Ikea, UDV Guinness and United Glass - who find the cost effective service appealing.
The service is run on a scheduled timetable of departures and arrivals which has allowed WH Malcom to plan and integrate the rail service into their operation and establish 98% reliability in terms of on time arrivals. With an established base load traffic and proven reliability, WH Malcolm and DRS has been able to market excess capacity on a less than wagon load basis to new customers.
Talgo High Cube Wagons and intermodal containers have been used since the start of the contract, providing the capacity and security suited to the volumetric nature of the types of goods being hauled.
These weekly movements are the equivalent of up to 240 heavy road movements being removed from the country’s roads, reducing congestion and vehicle emissions.
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