Along theRight LinesSpring 2014/#11The company magazine for Direct Rail Services Limited

This Issue:Class 68 Update

Chiltern Railways - Major New ContractAwards - DRS are officially the most reliable - AGAIN!

Recruitment - building a team to continue success...Plus much more!

‘Along the Right Lines’ is published by DRS: Kingmoor Depot, Etterby Road, Etterby, Carlisle CA3 9NZ.

01228 406 600 www.directrailservices.com

©2014 DRS. Design/production by CarneWhitney.com 01228 596 895.

DRSRoundupWelcome to the eleventh edition of the DRS magazine. We have enjoyed a busystart to 2014, introducing our brand new next generation diesel-electric locomotive,the Class 68, to the UK market.

Best of all, I’m delighted to announce that we’ve signed an agreement with Chiltern Railways toprovide six of the new Class 68 locos to service their Birmingham to London Marylebone route.

At the same time, DRS have been working hard to support the NDS, Network Rail – now renamedNSC (National Supply Chain) – ramping up the weekday Network Rail yard service delivery andbulk ballast trains. We’re pleased to report this service has now achieved its full programmetarget capacity with the start up of the Mountsorrel (Leicestershire) to Carlisle return bulk ballasttrain. We were also proud to play our part in bringing in track ballast to help repair damagedtracks in the aftermath of the devastation caused by recent floods.

Along with this NSC work, which we successfully tendered for last year, we’ve also enjoyedseveral other contract wins recently. As a business we are not only growing, we’re buildinga broad base of high quality services that will cement our position as innovators in the railindustry for many years to come. To help us succeed, we are recruiting great people to workright across our business now. Check out the article on how we are going from strength tostrength and see if you’d like to join us on that journey.

Finally, I’ll leave you with a hint of things of come from DRS - if you like the evolution theClass 68 represents, then stand by for the revolution the new Class 88 will bring – this willbe another huge change for the rail industry and its coming soon from DRS!

Neil McNicholas Managing Director

Please send any feedback or suggestions for features for

the magazine to our editor: kyle.palmer@drsl.co.uk

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Since locomotive 68002 arrived in the UK, it has been used to complete homologation testingincluding dynamic stability trials, Electric Train Supply (ETS) testing, and other specific testingrequired for UK operating approval.

On 3 March 2014 the loco was moved to Crewe and used as part of the first course of engineering trainingfor DRS staff, which will allow them to maintain Class 68 locomotives out in the field.

On 14 March, loco 68002 then moved to Arlington fleet services in Eastleigh works for remedialattention and correction of the minor warrantee snags that were identified prior to the loco leaving

Valencia.

All homologation testing has been completed and the technical file for approval compiled andsent to Department for Transport for approval. Once this approval is received, 68002 will be

licensed to run under its own power and begin operational testing on UK track.

Following this, there’ll be a 3 month driver training period followed by haulage capabilityand fuel consumption testing. Once all testing is complete and DRS are satisfied

with the loco’s overall performance, the Class 68 will be formally accepted aspart of the Company’s fleet.

In all, DRS are planning to introduce 25 Class 68locomotives to the UK market.

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DRS’ Class 68 locomotive is a new, highlyefficient and powerful locomotive specificallydesigned to meet the demands of both UKRail-Freight and Passenger Operations.

The Partners

Developed in partnership with Vossloh of Germany andmanufactured at their Valencia plant, the DRS Class 68 benefitsfrom Vossloh’s engineering expertise and DRS’ knowledge of thespecific needs of UK Rail Operators.

Technical Overview

The team insisted on incorporating proven technology into thedesign so that the benefits of bringing the Class 68 to the UK couldbe fully realised. At the heart of the locomotive is a powerful andhighly reliable 16-cylinder Caterpillar C175 diesel engine. This iscoupled with 4 individual axle inverter drives providing exceptionaltraction and 4 levels of redundancy.

The Class 68 Advantage

This new locomotive is set to deliver significant performance benefits forboth DRS and its clients. As a true mixed traffic locomotive it can haulboth freight and passenger services. Here’s a breakdown of theadvantages of the Class 68:

! Faster: 100mph top speed for both passenger and freightoperations. Importantly, this supports High Speed Freight, helping tofurther realise the potential of the UK rail network.

! More Powerful: Capable of hauling 1600Te intermodal trains on UKmainlines maximising loads per movement and track capacity.

! Greater Efficiency = Cost Reduction: The Class 68 brings a newstandard of fuel efficiency, further reducing operating costs.

! Kinder to the Environment: Reduced exhaust emissions. This is animportant factor for all clients, particularly those on sensitive routes.

! Maximum Reliability, Minimum Downtime: Extended maintenanceintervals and minimum routine consumables reduce costs and downtime.High levels of built in redundancy and proven technologies maximiseresilience and reliability. Typical maintenance intervals will be every 6months or 50,000 miles (which equates to twice around the world!)

! Operational Across the Network: Offering high power with a lightaxle load ensures that the Class 68 can operate as effectively onsecondary routes as it can on mainlines.

! Safe and Efficient Operation: Consultation with drivers and ASLEFduring the design and build phased have helped create anexceptional driver environment that is quiet, air conditioned and witha well laid out dashboard

! An Adaptable ‘platform’: The Class 68 is built around modularcomponents which means that not only is maintenance morestreamlined but also combined with the architecture of the tractionsystem, DRS is able to produce different types of locomotives fordifferent applications – depending on the needs of the customer.

Features and Benefits

Feature: Four stroke enhanced fuel efficient engine Benefit: Minimum of 7% fuel saving over an EMD power unit based on a HP to HP like for like comparison

Feature: 3805HP engine with 300kN of TE and state of the art invertor control system Benefit: Significantly enhanced haulage capability with advance adhesion control systems and superior power to weight ratio.

Feature: AC electrical machinery Benefit: Significant savings in raw materials and consumables over existing DC electrical machinery

Feature: Full dynamic braking Benefit: Significant operational cost reductions

Feature: Up to 5,600 litre fuel tank Benefit: Combined with improved fuel efficiency, this significantly extends range

Feature: Resiliently mounted crash-compliant cab Benefit: Offers superior driver comfort and has won the support of driver unions

Feature: Remote telemetry Benefit: Ship to shore communications allows Locomotives to transmit real-timeperformance data and potential faults to depots and engineering staff, helping to eliminate failures and reduce downtime of maintenance outages

Feature: 100mph top speed Benefit: Makes provision for use on passenger services and as a rescueloco. Provides an element of future proofing enabling the introduction of higher speed freight trains and supporting a faster rail network

Feature: Electric Train Supply Benefit: Provision of minimum 500KW of electric train supply in conjunctionwith enhanced speed rating offers potential market penetration into high speed rail environment

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DRS’ Class 68 Fleet

In January 2014, the initial fleet of 25 Class 68 locomotives started to beintroduced to the UK. Roll out of the entire fleet will be completed in2015 and will pave the way for the even more innovative Class 88 dualpower locomotives that will offer both Electric and Diesel Electricoperating modes for full access across the network.

The introduction of the Class 68 is a major achievement for DRS andbrings a real competitive advantage for its clients. Neil McNicholas,Managing Director of Direct Rail Services added “This is anotherimportant milestone in the strategic development of Direct Rail Services.The Class 68 locomotives are set to further extend DRS' capabilitiesand give our clients an even faster and more efficient service. The Class68 is just the first component of a wider DRS fleet strategy designed toensure that we can offer our clients the most efficient and flexibleservice well into the future.”

Performance Testing

The first of DRS’ new Class 68 locomotives, 68001, is well on target withits performance testing programme at the dedicated test track at Velim inthe Czech Republic.

A buoyant Tony Bush, DRS Engineering and Performance Director,commented “In all major respects, the results of the performance testingso-far have exceeded the design criteria, and DRS is very pleased with theoverall performance of the Class 68 to date.”

Upon receipt of TSI approval for use of the locomotive in the UK, 68001will return to Valencia, where the DRS livery will be applied before transferto the UK.

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Supporting the National Supply Chain

Following on from another very successful Autumn in 2013,which is Rail-Head Treatment Train (RHTT) season, DRS hascontinued its commitment to support the NDS, Network Rail,now renamed NSC (National Supply Chain), Network Rail. DRSare a major supplier to Network Rail helping to deliver their £38billion investment in the rail infrastructure over the next five years.

Following the Autumn season DRS have operated numerousdelivery trains around the LNE region starting from Carlisle Yardand Doncaster. Operation of these trains by DRS was for trackre-alignment and also construction of the rail connection intothe new Hitachi Rail Europe Factory plant.

Further renewals and material delivery trains were operatedagain around Barnsley, Elsecar and Wombwell during Januaryand February. Our class 20 locomotives have been heavilyutilised for this work due to the gauge restrictions on theselines. Most of the trains were operated during the night, mid-week. All the trains had to arrive and depart at the possessionaccess and departure points at the allocated time so that therailway could be handed back to Network Rail for passengertrain operation later the same day.

DRS have also assisted the NSC on a weekly basis on themovement of Falcon wagons from Carlisle to and from Wabtec,Kilmarnock for and after refurbishment.

Between Boxing Day and early January a number of routeproving operations from the Far North of Scotland to the WCMLwith DRS locomotives took place making sure the lines wereclear and safe after the disruptive weather over the festiveperiod. We also moved some of the Independent SnowdriftPloughs (ISP’s) in preparation for winter.

We are also currently working in partnership with JSD Researchand Development on weed-spraying operations. DRS providetrain crew to JSD (who have won the nationwide contract fromthe NSC) to operate the NSC Multi-Purpose Vehicles (MPV) inthe LNW, LNE and Anglia regions.

Our Class 37 locomotives are powering the NSC InfrastructureMonitoring trains as well as the Network Rail inspection saloonwhich once again is operating with DRS train crew resources.

DRS Contract Ramped-up to Full Capacity

In addition to all the possession service trains over the last fewmonths, the ramp up of weekday Network Rail yard servicedelivery trains and bulk ballast trains won by DRS in the recentsuccessful tender bid has now reached full programme with thestart-up of the return bulk ballast train from Mountsorrel inLeicestershire to Carlisle.

These new network yard delivery services on behalf of the NSCare as follows and operate on weekdays delivering trainloads ofmaterials and vehicles between NDS’ strategic sites atMossend, Carlisle, Crewe, Bescot and Toton in preparation forInfrastructure possession services:

! Carlisle Yard to Bescot (via Crewe, Basford Hall) return trip

! Crewe, Basford Hall to Carlisle Yard return trip

! Doncaster to Toton or Whitemoor return trip

! Crewe, Basford Hall to Toton (via Bescot) return trip

The new bulk ballast services on behalf of the NSC also operateon weekdays and are as follows:

! Carlisle Yard to Shap Quarry return trip

! Mossend to Shap Quarry (via Carlisle Yard)

! Crewe Basford Hall to Mountsorrel Quarry return trip

! Mountsorrel Quarry to Carlisle return trip

Help during recent floods

Damage to the Cumbrian coastline between Flimby and Siddickin early January saw the line closed and buses operatedbetween Workington and Carlisle. On 7 January, a request wasreceived from the NSC 24:7 Ops Control for an emergencymaterial delivery train required to enter the worksite betweenFlimby and Siddick on 9 January.

The train hauled wagons carrying huge tonnes of track ballastfrom Carlisle yard and was top and tailed by DRS locomotivesand operated within the worksite for 30 hours by Carlisle basedtrain-crew. The line was handed back to Network Rail for normaloperation on 13 January.

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DRS as a strategic partnernational supply chain

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Chiltern chooseDRS’ Class 68DRS are delighted to announce that they havesigned an agreement with Chiltern Railways toprovide six Class 68 locomotives, which willservice the Birmingham to London MaryleboneMainline route. The new deal is part of ChilternRailways’ programme of rolling investment inthe route.

Chiltern will introduce the Class 68 into their entire Mainlinesilver locomotive hauled Mark 3 train fleet, which operatesbetween London Marylebone and Kidderminster. Futureexpansion was an important consideration for Chiltern andthanks to the Class 68’s superior haulage capability, DRSwere able to help them cover this requirement with ease. !

The new locomotives have been supplied under a sublease from DRS and will be numbered 68010 to 68015. Thefirst vehicles will arrive with Chiltern in the Autumn of 2014for driver training and the plan is to begin using them inpassenger services from Winter 2014. ! DRS will providea fully maintained service to Chiltern and also assist in thecommissioning and introduction of the locomotives prior toservice commencement. ! Rob Brighouse, ManagingDirector of Chiltern Railways said, “The introduction of newlocomotives marks yet another key milestone as part of ourinvestment into the Birmingham to London Maryleboneroute. Their addition not only updates our fleet with themost up-to-date diesel locomotives in the UK, it allows usto prepare for future expansion as demand for our lineincreases.” ! Neil McNicholas, Managing Director of DRSsaid, “DRS are proud to support Chiltern Railways in thisexciting project that will see the Class 68 locomotivedelivering industry leading levels of performance, reliabilityfuel efficiency as well as environmental credentials.Working in partnership we are focused on delivering thehighest possible standards to meet Chiltern’s long-termfranchise requirements and provide exceptional servicedelivery to the customer.”

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DRS

DRS claims the prestigious ‘The Golden Whistle’... AGAIN!

DRS nominated Sabrina for the awardnot only for her performance in2012/2013 but also because sincejoining DRS in 1999, her customerservice skills have consistently shonethrough in every role she hasundertaken.

Sabrina has fantastic workingrelationships with her colleagues atDRS, as well as with customers, andthis helps her to deliver the high level ofservice required in the fast developingmarket of the Intermodal world.

Since 2009, Sabrina has been heavilyinvolved in developing DomesticIntermodal business for DRS, seeingin growth of approximately 350%.Sabrina and her team have played keyroles in delivering the highest levels ofoperational performance andcustomer service.

In addition, Sabrina was not onlyinstrumental in helping DRS secure amajor rail freight contract with StobartRail and Tesco in September 2011, butalso worked to set up the new servicesand operations in the timescalesneeded by the client.

In 2012/13, Sabrina contributed to thesuccessful implementation of a newdedicated Tesco service which startedoperating 6 days a week betweenDaventry and Wentloog. In addition,Sabrina facilitated a 'first of its kind'regular sharing service between two ofthe UK's largest supermarkets – ASDAand Tesco – these otherwise fiercecompetitors agreed to share a trainservice under Sabrina's management.

Not only have the RFG rewardedSabrina's contribution to the industry,

she was also recognised by Tesco attheir Annual Supplier Conference whenthey awarded her an "OutstandingIndividual Contribution Supporting theTesco Rail Operation".

Sabrina is keen to stress that althoughthe Tesco award was presented to her,she has accepted it on behalf of theteam at DRS as it recognises the hardwork and efforts by everyone whocontributes to the delivery of theIntermodal services.

Chris Connelly, Director of Commercialand Business Development at DRSsaid, "I would like to congratulateSabrina on this fantastic achievement,delivering to the exacting standards ofour Domestic Intermodal customersrequires the highest level ofoperational performance andcustomer care. This awarddemonstrates DRS' position as theindustry leader in this market."

At the end of 2013, DRS were very proud to announce that Sabrina Brannan, BusinessManager for the Company’s Intermodal services, had been awarded the Rail Freight Group's(RFG) 2012/13 award for ‘Outstanding Individual Contribution’.

RFG Award for OutstandingIndividual Contribution

DRSwas presented with a prestigious industryaward for ‘The UK’s Best Performing Rail

Freight Operator’ at the 2014 ‘Golden Whistle Awards’.The event’s organised to celebrate excellence in theindustry by the Institute of Railway Operators inconjunction with Modern Railways Magazine.

This is the second time DRS have won the award and itshowcases the dedication we have at retaining our positionas officially the leading rail freight operator in the UK.

Neil McNicholas, DRS Managing Director, said: “We’redelighted to win this very prestigious award for a second time.This award recognises the world- class skills and dedicationof the DRS workforce and the vital job they do for the countryevery day. I’d like to thank all of our staff for their contribution,particularly those who have been instrumental in deliveringperformance improvements during the last 12 months.”

Norman Egglestone, Head of Performance for DRS added:“This award is measured on train service arrivals over a 12month period and clearly demonstrates once again theprofessionalism and determination of all those involved withdelivery of train services, operation of terminals andmaintenance of our fleet. A superb team effort.”

As a subsidiary of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority(NDA), DRS are responsible for transporting nuclearmaterials around the UK, John Clarke, Chief Executive of theNDA, said: “Congratulations to Neil and his team on winningthis prestigious award for a second time – a very impressiveachievement. I’m delighted to see DRS gaining much-deserved praise for the excellent service they provide for theUK nuclear industry. The safe and secure transportation ofspent fuel around the UK via rail is an essential service thatdirectly contributes to keeping electricity flowing to homesand businesses across the UK.”

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Class 92sDRS goes Electric!Many of those not already ‘in the know’ willhave been surprised to see DB SchenkerClass 92s pulling DRS freight trains... There’sno need to be alarmed! DRS have been SOsuccessful in developing new business thatwe’ve actually had to draft-in extra motive powerto service our routes!

Introduced in July 2013, DRS currently has an agreementto lease three Class 92s from DB Schenker, with one inregular operation serving Tesco’s Mossend to Daventryservice. DRS’ highly successful intermodal services willbenefit from the introduction of new locomotives, whichoffer shorter running times on the West Coast Mainline,combined with significant environmental benefits and thepotential to increase the number of containers on each ofthe services.

The electric locos are also very popular with Drivers in-cab because they are very quiet compared to thethundering diesel-electric engine of the Class 66.

Special Training

John Ball, Crewe Operations Manager, has taken the roleof operating the Class 92 training course alongsideCarlisle’s Operations Manager, Steve Brownlee. TheClass 92 course comprises five days of classroomtraining, followed by intensive hands-on practicallocomotive work.

To date, a total of twenty six DRS drivers from Motherwell,Carlisle, Daventry and the Crewe Depot have undertakenthe course, enabling them to now drive Class 92sbetween Mossend’s International Railfreight Park inScotland and Tesco’s key DIRFT railhead at Daventry inthe Midlands.

Recruitment:The DRS Team goes from strength tostrength ...and it’s STILL growing!

Over the last twelve months DRS have increased workforcenumbers by around 20% and is now employing over 370people. To continue providing the excellent standard ofservice expected by existing customers, as well as startingto deliver contracts for new clients, DRS has created andrecruited for over 70 new roles in the last year alone.

These new roles have been created right across the business and arebased at several of the DRS depots in the UK. Every area of thebusiness, from Engineering to IT and from Operations to HR, has beenbolstered with increased resources as DRS continues to go fromstrength to strength.

As well as recruiting highly qualified and competent individuals with theright outlook and attitude to work within the DRS team and serve theCompany’s clients, Apprentices and Graduates have been importantadditions to the DRS family as the company creates the rightfoundations to deliver its long term strategic growth targets.

People really are at the heart of DRS, not least the men and womenwho make up the Train Crew. Over the next three years the Companywill increase the number of Train Crew to 240 to meet the needs ofcustomers following the recent slew of contract wins the businesshas enjoyed.

There is an ongoing recruitment campaign for qualified train driversat most DRS locations along with three trainee driver programmesstarting between July 2014 and May 2016.

For more information about career opportunities within DRS,please go to our website www.directrailservices.com/careers

DRS Intermodal: cost-effective capacity

With an exceptional on-time delivery record,DRS has built high levels of confidence in thereliability of rail as part of the ‘Just-In-Time’supply chain. As a result, where once onlyprimary volumes were transported by rail, nowan ever increasing number of secondary flows –including critical RDC-to-store deliveries – userail as a core element of their logisticscapabilities. ! As DRS becomes the rail partnerof choice for the Intermodal Freight market, weare able to offer a highly cost effective serviceon the return trips of our scheduled rail freightroutes. ! For more information contactSabrina Brannan on 01228 406 522.

Rail Freight Route Frequency

Daventry to Coatbridge (1) 7 days per week

Daventry to Coatbridge (2) 5 days per week

Daventry to Coatbridge (3) 5 days per week

Daventry to Mossend 6 days per week

Daventry to Barking/Purfleet 6 days per week

Daventry to Wentloog 6 days per week

Mossend to Inverness 6 days per week

Grangemouth to Aberdeen 7 days per week

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