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GB Railfreight〔(Companies House extract company no 3707899 ) GB Railfreight Limited〕 is a rail freight company in the United Kingdom. It is owned by Europorte, a subsidiary of Eurotunnel. ==History== GB Railfreight was founded in 1999 by GB Railways. Unlike competitors DB Schenker and Freightliner, the company was not formed from parts of the privatised British Rail freight sectors. In April 2000, after winning an eight-year contract to operate infrastructure trains for Railtrack, GB Railfreight ordered seven Class 66 locomotives.〔"GBR orders 66 fleet for Railtrack contract" ''Rail'' issue 382 3 May 2000 page 5〕〔"GB Rail signs freight contract with Railtrack" ''The Railway Magazine'' issue 1190 June 2000 page 10〕 An operator's licence was granted in July 2000.〔"GB Railfreight given licence" ''Rail'' issue 388 26 July 2000 page 4〕 Operations commenced on 1 April 2001.〔"GB Railfreight signs deal with West Coast Traincare" ''Rail'' issue 406 4 April 2001 page 13〕 In February 2002, GBRf commenced operating its first Intermodal container contract from the Port of Felixstowe for MSC Mendite.〔"GBRf starts container service to Selby" ''The Railway Magazine'' issue 1212 April 2002 page 95〕 Also in 2002, GBRf began its first bulk freight contract for British Gypsum.〔"Making sure the mail on rail doesn't fail" ''Rail'' issue 609 14 January 2009 page 50〕 In August 2003, GB Railways was purchased by FirstGroup and GB Railfreight was rebranded First GBRf.〔"First Group buys GB for $22million" ''The Railway Magazine'' issue 1229 September 2003 page 10〕〔"GB Railways is bought by First Group for £22 million" ''Railway Express'' issue 88 September 2003 page 8〕 In April 2004, GB Railfreight commenced operating a five year contract for Network Rail with four Gatwick Express Class 73 locomotives.〔"Network Rail hands GBRf more work: Class 73s acquired, wagons bought" ''Railway Express'' issue 94 March 2004 page 8〕 In May 2005, First GBRf began operating Royal Mail services using Class 325s.〔"Mail back on rail: GBRf wins postal contract" ''The Railway Magazine'' issue 1244 December 2004 page 4〕 This was later extended until 2010. Also in 2005, GBRf commenced operating London Underground infrastructure trains for Metronet.〔〔"Welcome back Finedon Road Yard" ''Railway Express'' issue 122 July 2006 page 3〕 In March 2007, First GBRf commenced operating coal trains for Drax Group and EDF Energy.〔"GBRF wins first coal contract" ''Today's Railways'' issue 54 July 2006 page 15〕〔"GB Railfreight expands into coal" ''Railway Express'' issue 122 July 2006 page 7〕〔"GBRf enters coal market" ''The Railway Magazine'' issue 1264 August 2006 page 6〕〔"GBRf aims to be first for freight" ''Rail'' issue 603 22 October 2008 pages 38-42〕 In June 2007, the business was renamed First GBRf.〔"More new locos and wagons ordered as GB Railfreight becomes FirstGBRf" ''Railway Express'' issue 134 July 2007 page 7〕〔"GB Railfreight becomes FirstGBRf" ''The Railway Magazine'' issue 1276 August 2007 page 76〕 In 2009, First GBRf was granted a passenger licence allowing it to operate charter services.〔"GBRf expands operations with charter trips" ''Rail'' issue 645 2 June 2010 page 34〕 Between December 2009 and July 2010, First GBRf operated passenger services under contract to First Great Western. The services from Cardiff Central to Taunton operated with hired Virgin Trains Class 57/3s hauling Mark 2 carriages.〔(First Great Western ) Taunton Trains〕〔"First GBRf takes over on FGW Taunton diagram" ''Railway Express'' issue 164 January 2010 page 7〕〔"First GBRf to operate FGW contract" ''The Railway Magazine'' issue 1306 February 2010 page 61〕 In May 2010, FirstGroup put the business up for sale. Eurotunnel, Freightliner and SNCF were reported as being interested in the company. The company was purchased by Europorte, a subsidiary of Eurotunnel, on 1 June 2010.〔"Eurotunnel buys GBRf" ''The Railway Magazine'' issue 1312 August 2010 page 10〕 Following the acquisition by Europorte, the company reverted to its original name and a revised version of the original livery. In February 2011, GBRf commenced operation of rail traffic at Cardiff Tidal/Tremorfa Works.〔"GB Railfreight takes over at Cardiff Tidal Yard" ''Railway Express issue 179 April 2011 page 50〕 In 2012, GBRf commenced a ten-year contract to operate the 43 mile rail network at Sahavirirya Steel Industries Lackenby steelworks, Teesside. In April 2015, GB Railfreight commenced a contract to haul the ''Caledonian Sleeper''. Class 92s haul it from London Euston to Edinburgh Waverley/Glasgow Central with rebuilt Class 73/9s to haul it from Edinburgh to Aberdeen, Inverness and Fort William.〔"The Sleepers are stirring" ''Rail'' issue 756 3 September 2014 page 70〕 Until the latter are completed Class 67s continue to operate the latter services. GB Railfreight have also won a contract to haul Class 800/801s. This will involve GBRf providing crews for the testing of the trains as well as hauling the sets. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「GB Railfreight」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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