Saturday 11 August 2018

Are Freightliner sidelining all their class 70s?


Copying the title of a thread on WNXX forum, and also read something related elsewhere.

As of Friday night
70003 DFGI IPSWICHYD IPS LOCOS N DITL
70005 DFGI BASFDHALL BASFDHALL 9 N STOR
70007 DFGI SOTON M T SOTON M T 9 N DITL
70008 DFGI BASFDHALL CRWBHFPFL X STOR
70014 DFGI SOTON M T SOTON M T 9 N DITL
70020 DFGI THLG FL 514M37C710 9 BASFDHALL N STOR
all were assigned as as "dead in tow locomotive" or store.

70014 actually hauled 70007 DIT as 4M46 02:10 Southampton - Garston on Saturday morning, leaving no Class 70 at Southampton. It is believed to have come off at Crewe Basford Hall, leaving 70007 to proceed to Garston, then return to Basford Hall - where it seems that there will be a storage line.

Earlier today I read the latest G&W Investor 2Q results presentation of 27th July where I noted:

"U.K. Optimization/Restructuring Update 

• Overall plan unchanged with ~$55 million of restructuring and related costs expected to unlock ~$18 million of annual savings 
• Q2 2018 restructuring and related charges of $9.4 million ($6.1 million from equipment rationalization and $3.3 million from management restructuring and technology initiatives) 
• Locomotive fleet rationalization partially deferred into 2H 2018 given strengthening commercial demand for bulk commodity shipments 
EITHER $23 million of equipment charges in 2H 2018 (yielding $8 million of annual savings) OR new business to be contracted for higher profit using the excess equipment"

We will know in the next day or two if all Freightliner Class 70 have been parked.
UPDATE Monday 13th: Confirmed - the traffic requirements can reportedly be managed in the short term with the Class 66 / 86 /90 fleet.