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GBRF
Last edited by
railwayadam
• 7 months ago
GB Railfreight is a leading private freight operator in the UK, renowned for its diverse locomotive fleet and high reliability across the national rail network.
Founded
2000
Status
Active
Country
UK
Also known as:
Trademail Limited (original name), First GBRf, Europorte GBRf
GB Railfreight (GBRf) is the UK's third-largest rail freight operator and a dominant force in the nation's logistics sector. Unlike its major competitors, which were largely formed from the privatised remnants of British Rail, GBRf was a "clean sheet" startup founded by John Smith in 1999. Today, the company operates over 1,000 trainloads a week, moving roughly 23% of the UK's rail cargo. Their operations are incredibly diverse, spanning intermodal containers for global shipping lines, biomass for Drax Power Station, infrastructure support for Network Rail, and the "bin liner" waste services that are a staple of the West Coast and Midland Main Lines.
The company's history is marked by rapid growth and several high-profile changes in ownership. After its launch as a subsidiary of GB Railways, it was acquired by FirstGroup in 2003 and rebranded as First GBRf, a period during which it famously took over the Royal Mail "Mail by Rail" contract. It was later sold to Europorte (part of the Getlink Group) in 2010, then to the EQT/Hector Rail group in 2016, and finally to its current owner, Infracapital, in 2019. Despite these corporate shifts, the company has maintained a remarkably consistent culture and is well-regarded for its high reliability and innovative approach to "open access" freight.
For enthusiasts, GBRf is celebrated for its eclectic and colourful fleet, headlined by over 100 Class 66 locomotives. The company is known for its "one-off" liveries, including the rainbow "Pride of GB Railfreight" and various heritage-inspired schemes. Beyond the "Sheds," the fleet includes the unique Class 73/9 electro-diesels and Class 92 electrics used for the Caledonian Sleeper, as well as the newly introduced Class 99 bi-mode locomotives. Their recent Class 69 project—rebuilding ageing Class 56s with modern EMD engines—has also been a point of significant interest for those following the technical evolution of UK motive power.
The company's history is marked by rapid growth and several high-profile changes in ownership. After its launch as a subsidiary of GB Railways, it was acquired by FirstGroup in 2003 and rebranded as First GBRf, a period during which it famously took over the Royal Mail "Mail by Rail" contract. It was later sold to Europorte (part of the Getlink Group) in 2010, then to the EQT/Hector Rail group in 2016, and finally to its current owner, Infracapital, in 2019. Despite these corporate shifts, the company has maintained a remarkably consistent culture and is well-regarded for its high reliability and innovative approach to "open access" freight.
For enthusiasts, GBRf is celebrated for its eclectic and colourful fleet, headlined by over 100 Class 66 locomotives. The company is known for its "one-off" liveries, including the rainbow "Pride of GB Railfreight" and various heritage-inspired schemes. Beyond the "Sheds," the fleet includes the unique Class 73/9 electro-diesels and Class 92 electrics used for the Caledonian Sleeper, as well as the newly introduced Class 99 bi-mode locomotives. Their recent Class 69 project—rebuilding ageing Class 56s with modern EMD engines—has also been a point of significant interest for those following the technical evolution of UK motive power.
GBRF train videos - page 20
Showing 500 of 13,144 videos.
Signals & Waypoints
GBRf 2 0 2 1 - 'This Time It's Personal' - 50049 & 50044 & 50007 at Acton Bridge
swindon_rail enthusiast
D1015 (52) Western Champion + 43106 steam + GBRf 50's @ Severn Valley Railway 10/09/21
swindon_rail enthusiast
DB 66056 hauling scrap metal on the old Highworth branch line + workings @ Swindon 07/09/21
![GBRf Charity Railtour 2021 "This Time Its Personal" on the Harwich Branch, 2nd September 2021 [4K]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/3EavAN6c_po/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCKgBEF5IWvKriqkDGQgBFQAAiEIYAdgBAeIBCggYEAIYBjgBQAE=&rs=AOn4CLCLDJ1xQUdE5BeFPmbK7WJVSXDrUA)
swindon_rail enthusiast
LSL 43046 & 43055 on the blue Midland Pullman + variety + some random trucks @ Westbury 29/08/21
swindon_rail enthusiast
67001/021/024 on Belmond British Pullman + movements @ Eastleigh Works 19/08/21
swindon_rail enthusiast
Pride, Royal Mail + Caledonian sleeper ft. in Trains and Tones @ Tamworth 17/08/21
swindon_rail enthusiast
BR 37402 + DRS 37069 on Eastleigh to Norwich Pathfinder tour @ Swindon 14/08/21
swindon_rail enthusiast
Orion 768001 (ex. 319010) Logistics on test + variety @ Eastleigh Works 28/07/21
swindon_rail enthusiast
GWR 769930 from Reading Traincare + variety + planes + balast shifting @ Eastleigh 28/07/21
swindon_rail enthusiast
GBRf 66722 drags 73128 + 73107 + SWR 442420 to Bournemouth Depot @ Eastleigh 28/07/21
swindon_rail enthusiast
Flying Tomato HST NR Test Train, Tesco's, GBRf + GWR + XC @ Ashchurch for Tewkesbury 23/07/21
swindon_rail enthusiast
GBRf 50007 (50034) + 50049 Belmond British Pulman to London Victoria passes Swindon 03/07/21
Southernrailwaysfan
GBRf 66793 Passes St Denys For Southampton West Docks - Wednesday 16th June 2021
swindon_rail enthusiast
GBRf 66 Triple, Coupling, Tuneful Tones + More on the Bank Holiday @ Westbury 03/05/21
swindon_rail enthusiast
66779 Evening Star GBRF - 6G70 Stapleton Road to Westbury @ Swindon 28/03/21
![Lineside by the riverside at Manningtree, 24th March 2021 [4K]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/_v-tLmvGtx0/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCKgBEF5IWvKriqkDGQgBFQAAiEIYAdgBAeIBCggYEAIYBjgBQAE=&rs=AOn4CLBOiuMTWRn3T_gXUNwXG6ImOUOasw)
