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Freight containers

The box sizes that travel by rail in Britain, and the colours of the companies that own them. The sizes are fixed by the ISO standard; the colours are taken from colour guides and photographs and are approximate until checked.

unverified Some of these figures haven’t yet been checked against an official source or a published history. What’s in doubt ↓

Box types 15

TypeLengthWidthHeightTareRated gross
20 ft general purpose (ISO 1C / 1CC)
build and corners

Side walls, front wall and doors are corrugated steel (Textainer: door corrugation matches the side-wall profile; fleet numbers sit in recessed corrugations); doors with locking bars at one end only; corner castings at all 8 corners; recessed front/rear sills. Doors at the rear end only, front (blind) end is plain corrugated. 8 ft 6 in high so it fits W8 and above on any deck.

19 ft 11 in6.058 m8 ft 0 in2.438 m8 ft 6 in2.591 m2,200 kg30,480 kg
40 ft general purpose, 8 ft 6 in (ISO 1A / 1AA)
build and corners

Side walls, front wall and doors are corrugated steel (Textainer: door corrugation matches the side-wall profile; fleet numbers sit in recessed corrugations); doors with locking bars at one end only; corner castings at all 8 corners; recessed front/rear sills. Doors at the rear. A 40 ft standard-height box is becoming rarer in new GB traffic (high cubes dominate).

40 ft 0 in12.192 m8 ft 0 in2.438 m8 ft 6 in2.591 m3,700 kg32,500 kg
40 ft high cube, 9 ft 6 in (ISO 1AAA)
build and corners

Side walls, front wall and doors are corrugated steel (Textainer: door corrugation matches the side-wall profile; fleet numbers sit in recessed corrugations); doors with locking bars at one end only; corner castings at all 8 corners; recessed front/rear sills. This is the dominant deep-sea box on GB maritime trains; needs a W10+ route on a 3 ft 3 in (980 mm) deck (Greenbrier).

40 ft 0 in12.192 m8 ft 0 in2.438 m9 ft 6 in2.896 m3,890 kg32,500 kg
45 ft high cube (ISO 1EEE / L5G1)
build and corners

Side walls, front wall and doors are corrugated steel (Textainer: door corrugation matches the side-wall profile; fleet numbers sit in recessed corrugations); doors with locking bars at one end only; corner castings at all 8 corners; recessed front/rear sills. Carried on 50 ft Megafret-type decks (FKA, IKA) not on 60 ft FEA platforms.

45 ft 0 in13.716 m8 ft 0 in2.438 m9 ft 6 in2.896 m4,700 kg32,500 kg
45 ft pallet-wide high cube (ISO 45G0 / L5G1 wide)
build and corners

Wider than ISO (8 ft 2 in (2,500 mm) over the body per SeaCo; Wikipedia also records PW units of ~2,46 m). Shallow side corrugation to maximise internal width for 33-34 Euro-pallets; doors at rear; used on UK/European short-sea and domestic flows.

45 ft 0 in13.716 m8 ft 2 in2.50 m9 ft 6 in2.896 m4,750 kg34,000 kg
30 ft (ISO 1B) - bulk / tipping box, 8 ft 6 in
build and corners

Used in GB for bulk traffic (e.g. desulphogypsum, biomass, waste) on 60 ft flats, three-pocket platforms and Megafrets. Greenbrier lists '30 ft' (ISO class 1B) on all its UK container flats. Often a plain-sided or tipping box; no maker data found.

29 ft 11 in9.125 m8 ft 0 in2.438 m8 ft 6 in2.591 m––
20 ft integral reefer
build and corners

Refrigeration machinery unit fills the front (blind) end; doors at the rear; T-floor and shallow sides; usually white.

19 ft 11 in6.058 m8 ft 0 in2.438 m8 ft 6 in2.591 m3,010 kg30,480 kg
40 ft high cube integral reefer
build and corners

Reefer unit (compressor/condenser, grille and fan) fills the front end between the corner posts; gooseneck tunnel in the floor (width 3 ft 5 in (1,029 mm), depth 120 mm); doors at rear; usually white. Tare 4,080 kg without the unit.

40 ft 0 in12.192 m8 ft 0 in2.438 m9 ft 6 in2.896 m4,400 kg35,000 kg
45 ft pallet-wide reefer
build and corners

Reefer unit at the front end; wide body as for 45 ft PW; white.

45 ft 0 in13.716 m–9 ft 6 in2.896 m6,180 kg34,000 kg
20 ft tank container (ISO T11, 24,000 L) in a 20 ft frame
build and corners

Cylindrical stainless shell (about 24 m3) cradled in a full box-section ISO frame with corner castings; manway on top; discharge valve box at the rear end; frame members visible all round. 8 ft 6 in frame height is the usual size for GB rail (a 9 ft version exists, see OEG).

19 ft 11 in6.058 m8 ft 0 in2.438 m8 ft 6 in2.591 m3,810 kg36,000 kg
20 ft / 40 ft open top
build and corners

Same external ISO footprint as a standard box (6,058 / 12,192 x 2,438 x 2,591) but with a removable bow-and-tarpaulin roof; doors at one end, plus a swinging header at the door end. Rare on GB rail.

–8 ft 0 in2.438 m8 ft 6 in2.591 m––
20 ft / 40 ft flat rack (collapsible)
build and corners

Platform floor with two end walls (fixed or folding) and corner posts; no sides or roof; 20 ft internal length 18 ft 6 in (5,638 mm), floor width 8 ft 0 in (2,438 mm), minimum width 7 ft 2 in (2,194 mm), height 7 ft 4 in (2,233 mm; Hapag-Lloyd). Very rare on GB rail except breakbulk/military.

–8 ft 0 in2.438 m–2,900 kg45,000 kg
45 ft curtain-sided domestic container (e.g. Stobart/Tesco type)
build and corners

45 ft long, 8 ft 6 in (2.59 m) high so it stays in the standard UK gauge; curtain sides with rails on top and corner castings; carried on 50 ft Megafret-type or 60 ft decks. Built for Stobart/Tesco from 2006 (90 boxes, 26 per train).

45 ft 0 in13.716 m–8 ft 6 in2.591 m––
Swap bodies: class C (23 ft 5 in / 24 ft 5 in / 25 ft 8 in (7.15 / 7.45 / 7.82 m)) and class A (41 ft 0 in / 44 ft 7 in (12.50 / 13.60 m))
build and corners

Road-trailer-style bodies with no stacking frame; fitted with swing-out legs and bottom corner fittings in line with ISO 20 ft (class C) or 40 ft (class A) positions; the 45 ft pallet-wide HC box has largely replaced the 44 ft 7 in swap body. Carried on Megafret-type (FKA/IKA) decks in GB (rare).

–8 ft 4 in2.55 m–––
Piggyback / road semi-trailer on rail (Lohr / Modalohr / Megaswing)
build and corners

No piggyback or Modalohr service is known in regular GB traffic in 2026; the Channel Tunnel shuttle carries lorries on its own rolling stock, not on GB freight wagons.

–––––

Box colours

Each swatch is a colour a colour guide or a photograph gives; hatched means none has been found yet. No company’s own colour code has been found, so every value is approximate. A company’s name, emblem and lettering are never drawn: the colour and any plain band only.

Shipping lines 15

Maersk common on GB rail colour approximate
Dry boxes: light grey/off-white for 51 years (from 1975); blue ('Maersk blue') on new units announced 2 May 2025, 85,000 ordered; reefers white; white lettering on blue.
3 in doubt
  • Older sources (CIMC, universal-containers) say Maersk boxes are 'light blue' - the newer Marine Insight article says grey until 2025. Both older descriptions and the 2025 change are quoted; the legacy grey hex is approximate (Hex is an approximate swatch for the colour word, set from my own recollection and not measured from paint or a brand guide; check against photographs before drawing.)
  • #42B0D5 is the brand blue; actual paint on boxes may differ.
  • Mix on GB rail in 2026: both greys and new blues will be seen for years.
MSC common on GB rail colour approximate
Bright/mustard yellow; reefers white; some grey/other boxes from acquired fleets.
2 in doubt
  • Hex is an approximate swatch for the colour word, set from my own recollection and not measured from paint or a brand guide; check against photographs before drawing.
  • Reefer and special-box colours not sourced.
CMA CGM common on GB rail colour approximate
Deep navy/dark blue (a source lists RAL 5013); reefers white.
2 in doubt
  • Hex is an approximate swatch for the colour word, set from my own recollection and not measured from paint or a brand guide; check against photographs before drawing.
  • RAL 5013 mention comes from a search summary of a container-colour page (not recovered); not applied to the hex.
?
COSCO common on GB rail
Medium to deep blue (sources: 'blue/white'); varies across the fleet.
2 in doubt
  • Hex left null: sources disagree on shade and on whether the box is blue or white.
  • Frequency on GB rail is general knowledge from the lines' known GB services; no source retrieved unless stated.
?
OOCL common on GB rail
Not described by any retrieved source. (OOCL is now COSCO group.)
1 in doubt
  • No colour source yet; to be checked against photographs before it is drawn.
Hapag-Lloyd common on GB rail colour approximate
Orange; reefers typically white.
2 in doubt
  • Hex is an approximate swatch for the colour word, set from my own recollection and not measured from paint or a brand guide; check against photographs before drawing.
  • Reefer colour not sourced.
ONE (Ocean Network Express) common on GB rail colour approximate
Magenta/bright pink (one guide adds 'purple').
2 in doubt
  • Hex is an approximate swatch for the colour word, set from my own recollection and not measured from paint or a brand guide; check against photographs before drawing.
  • Exact brand magenta not retrieved.
Evergreen common on GB rail colour approximate
Vibrant (dark) green.
1 in doubt
  • Hex is an approximate swatch for the colour word, set from my own recollection and not measured from paint or a brand guide; check against photographs before drawing.
?
Yang Ming occasional on GB rail
White or light grey with red logo and lettering (one guide); one list says white.
2 in doubt
  • Hex left null.
  • Frequency on GB rail is general knowledge from the lines' known GB services; no source retrieved unless stated.
?
HMM occasional on GB rail
Described as dark red/maroon in one guide and as red in others.
2 in doubt
  • Hex left null; sources conflict (maroon vs red).
  • Frequency on GB rail is general knowledge from the lines' known GB services; no source retrieved unless stated.
?
ZIM occasional on GB rail
Burgundy/dark red/maroon (one guide); another source says red.
2 in doubt
  • Hex left null.
  • Frequency on GB rail is general knowledge from the lines' known GB services; no source retrieved unless stated.
?
Hamburg Sud (part of Maersk) rare on GB rail
Not described by any retrieved source; boxes being absorbed into the Maersk fleet.
1 in doubt
  • No colour source. Merged into Maersk; legacy boxes still circulate. Frequency is a guess.
?
APL rare on GB rail
Not described by any retrieved source.
1 in doubt
  • No colour source. Frequency is a guess.
?
PIL (Pacific International Lines) rare on GB rail
Not described by any retrieved source.
1 in doubt
  • No colour source. Frequency is a guess.
?
Wan Hai rare on GB rail
Not described by any retrieved source.
1 in doubt
  • No colour source. Frequency is a guess.

Leasing companies 10

?
Triton (incl. TAL) common on GB rail
Lessor boxes are generally muted: maroon/brown or neutral grey/navy (generic claim). Prefix TRHU.
2 in doubt
  • Colour not established for Triton specifically.
  • Corporate history (TAL, CAI, merger dates) was not checked - do not assume.
?
Textainer common on GB rail
Lessor boxes generally muted or maroon (generic claim). Prefix TEXU.
1 in doubt
  • Colour not established for Textainer specifically.
?
Florens occasional on GB rail
Generic lessor muted/maroon claim only. Prefix FSCU.
1 in doubt
  • Colour not established.
?
SeaCo occasional on GB rail
1 in doubt
  • No colour source; frequency a guess.
?
Beacon occasional on GB rail
1 in doubt
  • No source at all retrieved.
?
CAI International occasional on GB rail
1 in doubt
  • No source at all retrieved.
?
Touax (container division; also owns UK KFA/KTA wagons) rare on GB rail
1 in doubt
  • Touax wagon livery is not the same as container colour.
?
Cronos rare on GB rail
1 in doubt
  • No source at all retrieved.
?
UES rare on GB rail
1 in doubt
  • No source at all retrieved.
?
CARU Containers rare on GB rail
1 in doubt
  • No source at all retrieved.

UK domestic boxes 9

?
Stobart Rail / Tesco (45 ft curtain-sided) common on GB rail
Tesco corporate colours (Wikipedia: the train was marked in Tesco corporate colours; a 2006 report said a joint Tesco/Stobart livery); exact colours not described.
2 in doubt
  • Colour not sourced; draw from photographs only.
  • Maritime Transport may re-brand boxes; not checked.
?
Maritime Transport common on GB rail
Operator of domestic and maritime container services; its own box livery not established.
1 in doubt
  • No colour source.
?
WH Malcolm occasional on GB rail
Not researched successfully.
1 in doubt
  • No source.
?
Russell Group occasional on GB rail
Not researched successfully.
1 in doubt
  • No source.
?
P&O Ferrymasters rare on GB rail
Not researched successfully.
1 in doubt
  • No source.
?
DFDS rare on GB rail
Not researched successfully.
1 in doubt
  • No source.
?
Samskip rare on GB rail
Not researched successfully.
1 in doubt
  • No source.
?
GBRf / Freightliner own boxes occasional on GB rail
Not researched successfully.
1 in doubt
  • No source.
?
Network Rail occasional on GB rail
Network Rail does not run containers as such; its infrastructure modules (Salmon, Tench, GBRf modules) ride on FEA flats.
1 in doubt
  • Modules are not ISO containers.

Generic boxes

A few unbranded boxes stand in for the leasing companies’ many.

Generic lessor box, maroon colour from photographs, approximate
a 20 ft general purpose box, in a leasing company's maroon (read off a Textainer box's side in Cape Town)
20 ft general purpose box, side (schematic)
20 ft general purpose box, door end (schematic)
Generic lessor box, grey colour from photographs, approximate
a 40 ft high cube, in a pale grey (read off a grey box beside an FEA-B wagon in British overcast light)
40 ft high cube box, side (schematic)
40 ft high cube box, door end (schematic)
Generic lessor box, blue colour from photographs, approximate
a 45 ft pallet-wide high cube, in a dark blue (read off a blue box in British overcast light; this size drawn from the 40 ft's details, its width unconfirmed)
45 ft pallet-wide high cube box, side (schematic)
45 ft pallet-wide high cube box, door end (schematic)
Generic lessor box, green colour from photographs, approximate
a 40 ft general purpose box (8 ft 6 in high), in a shipping line's green (read off an Evergreen box's side in oblique sun, Cape Town)
40 ft general purpose box, side (schematic)
40 ft general purpose box, door end (schematic)
Generic lessor box, orange colour from photographs, approximate
a 45 ft high cube, in an orange-red (read off a Hyundai box in overcast light, Cape Town; this size drawn from the 40 ft's details, no photograph of a 45 ft box found)
45 ft high cube box, side (schematic)
45 ft high cube box, door end (schematic)
Generic integral reefer, off-white colour from photographs, approximate
a 20 ft integral (refrigerated) box, in an off-white (read off a Hapag-Lloyd reefer's side in sun, Cape Town)
20 ft integral reefer, side (schematic)
20 ft integral reefer, door end (schematic)
Generic integral reefer, 40 ft high cube, off-white colour from photographs, approximate
a 40 ft high cube integral reefer, in an off-white (this size drawn from the 20 ft's details, no photograph of a 40 ft reefer found)
40 ft high cube integral reefer, side (schematic)
40 ft high cube integral reefer, door end (schematic)
Generic tank container, 20 ft colour from photographs, approximate
a 20 ft tank container: a black-clad shell in an orange frame (read off a tank in Japan; the shell's size indicative)
20 ft tank container, side (schematic)
20 ft tank container, door end (schematic)
Generic open top, 20 ft colour from photographs, approximate
a 20 ft open top, a leasing company's maroon under a blue tarpaulin (read off a Textainer open top in Japan)
20 ft open top, side (schematic)
20 ft open top, door end (schematic)
Generic open top, 40 ft colour from photographs, approximate
a 40 ft open top, brown-red under a blue tarpaulin (read off a Triton open top in Japan)
40 ft open top, side (schematic)
40 ft open top, door end (schematic)

The boxes are drawn as schematics at the site’s one scale, from rectified photographs; the spacing of the side ribs is indicative (no square-on photograph of a box side was found). No company’s name, emblem, code or lettering is drawn.

Sources

How we source figures →  ·  Spotted a mistake? Tell us → (opens in a new tab)

Show the 27 sources from Wikipedia, Greenbrier Europe, Textainer Group and 19 more
unverified
  • Bogie centres (mm) for every Greenbrier wagon: shown only on the 'Measurements' drawing image on each Greenbrier Europe page (URLs in sources gb_*); the fetch tool cannot read images and the brief forbids downloading images. Someone should open them in a browser: FEA 60 ft FEA_60_m.jpg, FEA 2x60 FEA_2x60_new_m.jpg, FKA 013.jpg, FLA 011.jpg, FFA-G FFA2x40_M.jpg, Megafret 09.jpg.
  • TOPS codes for the Freightliner FFA-G and for Ecofret/Ecofret2 are not confirmed by an operator or RSSB source (forum says FWA).
  • No primary or measured data for the FSA/FTA (Arbel Fauvet), FCA/FXA/FYA/FQA (Thrall), KFA/KTA (Touax), IKA (AAE) or FKA/FOA beyond the Greenbrier design sheets and LTSV/forums. Lengths over buffers, bogie centres, tare, gross and 2026 status for these are mostly null.
  • Current (2026) fleet counts per type and operator: nothing equivalent to a live register was reachable. LTSV tables are 2008-2014 snapshots.
  • Gauge classification (W8/W9/W10/W12 per wagon): only Greenbrier's statements are primary; Network Rail gauging documents and RSSB GERT8073 were not reached (forum summaries only).
  • Hapag-Lloyd, Maersk and railfreight.com pages blocked or returned 403/404; Hapag-Lloyd open-top/40 ft flat-rack and Maersk container pages could not be read.
  • Container company colours: only Maersk (history + brand blue) has anything near a primary source; the rest are secondary guides or nothing. No photographs were looked at (images could not be read). Hex values are approximate swatches and are flagged.
  • Lessor colours (Triton, Textainer, Florens, SeaCo, Beacon, CAI, Cronos, UES, CARU) and domestic operators (WH Malcolm, Russell, DFDS, Samskip, P&O Ferrymasters, GBRf/Freightliner own boxes): no usable colour source retrieved.
  • 'seen_on_gb_rail' frequencies for shipping lines are my general knowledge, not sourced.
  • 30 ft bulk container, curtainsider and swap body tares/widths: none found.
  • Other wagons: TDA/TIA, BRA/BLA/BEA/BKA, WIA, KXA, IWA, JGA (cement), JJA/MFA/MHA/MPA and Railvac: nothing reliable found; lengths over buffers null except HRA.
  • Freightliner's FHA / FIA codes were searched for; no wagon with those codes is confirmed in service.
  • Piggyback / Lohr / Modalohr / Megaswing: nothing found in GB service (absence of evidence).

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