British Rail Class 68


The Class 68 is a type of mainline mixed traffic diesel-electric locomotive manufactured by Stadler Rail for Direct Rail Services in the United Kingdom. The design is derived from the Stadler Eurolight, and Stadler's product name for this variant is the UKLight.
Delivery of the second batch of Class 68s – also for Direct Rail Services, and the first to be built by Stadler – was completed delivery in April 2016.
Delivery of the third batch of Class 68s was completed in July 2017.

Background

On 5 January 2012 Direct Rail Services announced it had placed an order for fifteen Vossloh Eurolight locomotives from Vossloh España for intermodal and passenger work with a 16-cylinder C175-16 engine from Caterpillar Inc. to be delivered from late 2013; these would be leased from Beacon Rail. The value of the contract has been estimated at £45 million. An option for ten further locomotives was confirmed to have been taken up in September 2014. Further to this, on 28 July 2015 Vossloh España announced an order for a further seven locomotives from DRS.
The locomotives have been given TOPS class 68, Stadler's product name for the design is UKLight.
The Class 68 complies with Stage III A of the European emission standards but not Stage III B.

Delivery

The first locomotive, 68 001, spent several months being tested at Velim Test Centre in the Czech Republic prior to being shipped to the UK. The second locomotive in the class, 68 002, was the first to arrive in the UK in January 2014.

Current operations

Direct Rail Services

The Class 68 is a mixed-traffic locomotive intended for use on both passenger and freight trains. DRS had indicated that the locomotives will likely be used on container traffic, and on Network Rail trains for which it is contracted to operate. They are now routinely used on nuclear flask trains.
The first passenger trains hauled by Class 68s were DRS special services for the 2014 Ryder Cup at.

Chiltern Railways

have sub-leased six DRS Class 68s, from December 2014, which have replaced Class 67s on its Chiltern Main Line services between and. These are painted in Chiltern's silver Mainline livery and are fitted with Association of American Railroads push-pull equipment to allow them to operate with Mark 3 coaching stock sets. Two DRS-liveried locomotives have also been fitted with AAR push-pull equipment.

TransPennine Express

initially sub-leased fourteen Class 68 locomotives from Direct Rail Services, for initial use on the to route. Once more sets are delivered and staff have been trained they will also work to services. These will haul five-car rakes of Mark 5A coaches, with a driving trailer at the opposite end.
The TPE vinyled locomotives do not feature yellow front ends, following a change to the regulations. In April 2020, nos. 68 033 and 68 034 were added to the TPE pool, to provide added resilience to the sub-fleet.
In November 2017, 68 021 Tireless was moved from the Crewe Gresty Lane TMD to Southampton Docks and ultimately transported to the Velim Test Track in the Czech Republic for testing with the new Mark 5A coaches. Testing included brake-force tests and door-interlock testing before the locomotive was returned to Great Britain in July 2018.

Former operations

Abellio ScotRail

sub-leased two Class 68s, to haul sets of six Mark 2 coaches, for use on peak hour services on the Fife Circle Line. These were 68 006 and 68 007, which carried the Saltire livery. These services commenced on the first day of Abellio Scotrail operation, 1 April 2015, with the last service operating on 29 May 2020 as the PRM-TSI derogations for the non-compliant Mark 2 coaches ended on 31 May of that year.

Fleet

34 Class 68 locomotives were delivered.
Before delivery, each of the first nine locomotives was named. All of the other Class 68 locomotives have also been named; 68 033/034 are yet to be named but they were still nameless as of 30 April 2020.
68 010 was named Oxford Flyer on 12 December 2016, in celebration of Chiltern Railways' new London-Oxford services. 68 028 was named Lord President in August 2018, without ceremony, at Crewe Gresty Bridge Depot.
NumberNameOperator
68 001EvolutionDirect Rail Services
68 002IntrepidDirect Rail Services
68 003AstuteDirect Rail Services
68 004RapidDirect Rail Services
68 005DefiantDirect Rail Services
68 006DaringDirect Rail Services
68 007ValiantDirect Rail Services
68 008AvengerDirect Rail Services
68 009TitanDirect Rail Services
68 010Oxford FlyerChiltern Railways
68 011Chiltern Railways
68 012Chiltern Railways
68 013Chiltern Railways
68 014Chiltern Railways
68 015Chiltern Railways
68 016FearlessDirect Rail Services
68 017HornetDirect Rail Services
68 018VigilantDirect Rail Services
68 019BrutusTransPennine Express
68 020RelianceTransPennine Express
68 021TirelessTransPennine Express
68 022ResolutionTransPennine Express
68 023AchillesTransPennine Express
68 024CentaurTransPennine Express
68 025SuperbTransPennine Express
68 026EnterpriseTransPennine Express
68 027SplendidTransPennine Express
68 028Lord PresidentTransPennine Express
68 029CourageousTransPennine Express
68 030Black DouglasTransPennine Express
68 031FelixTransPennine Express
68 032DestroyerTransPennine Express
68 033Direct Rail Services
68 034Direct Rail Services

Fleet Details

Incidents

68 015 suffered a minor fire, near High Wycombe, on 23 October 2015.
68 011 suffered a minor fire, near, on 8 January 2016.

Liveries