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Direct Rail Services
3locomotive classes in service
3liveries recorded
9ports, terminals and yards it serves
Facts
- Legal name
- Direct Rail Services Ltd (company no. 03020822)
- Owner
- Nuclear Transport Solutions (a division of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority); Wikipedia infobox says 'Nuclear Transport Services' (as at October 2026)
- Founded
- 1994/1995 (set up by BNFL; transferred to the NDA in 2005)
- Headquarters
- Carlisle, England
- Traffic
- nuclear flasks and fuel, intermodal (e.g. Grangemouth to Daventry, supermarket traffic), passenger charters and contract haulage
- Depots
- Carlisle Kingmoor, Crewe Gresty Bridge, Motherwell (inspection and refuelling), Sellafield (original base)
unverified Some of these figures haven’t yet been checked against an official source or a published history. What’s in doubt ↓
Locomotives
| Class | Number | Note | As at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class 68 | 20 | Wikipedia (2026): 20 with DRS after six ex-Chiltern units returned 2025-26 (68001-018, 68033, 68034); 14 others at Chiltern Railways. Total 34 built. Stadler data sheet lists 34 vehicles. | October 2026 |
| Class 88 | 10 | 88001-88010, owned by Beacon, all with DRS. | October 2026 |
| Class 66 | 19 | Wikipedia 2024 figure for 66/0 and 66/4 combined; not rechecked for 2026. | October 2026 |
| Class 37 | 0 | Retired; the last six (37407, 37419, 37422, 37424, 37425, 37716) were sold by tender from Feb 2024. | October 2026 |
| Class 57 | 0 | Remaining 57s sold in 2026 to GWR, Locomotive Services, Romic and West Coast Railways. | October 2026 |
Counts come from sources of different dates and are indicative. No drawings yet: the classes and their dimensions.
Liveries 3
- DRS blue with teal sweep current on Class 68, Class 88, Class 66
Dark blue body with a teal/green sweep fading toward the cab end and a yellow nose/cab front; compass-rose logo on the sides and ends. Logo: yes, left off. - NTS green (HVO) special on Class 68
Green livery on 68006 'Pride of the North' (COP26, Nov 2021) promoting HVO fuel; 68014 'Greener Future' (April 2023). Colours not further described. Logo: yes, left off. - Promotional Class 66 schemes special on Class 66
Eddie Stobart livery (66411 'Eddie the Engine') and a 'James the Engine' scheme (66414). Historical; current status not checked. Logo: yes, left off.
Described in words: no operator publishes colour codes, so none is given. The logo is left off every drawing (the site is independent of every operator).
Where it runs
Teesport, Port of Grangemouth and Grangemouth Rail Freight Terminal, DIRFT (Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal), Teesport Intermodal Rail Terminal (and TRIP, Middlesbrough), Mossend EuroTerminal, Coatbridge Freightliner terminal (Gartsherrie), Grangemouth Rail Freight Terminal (Grangemouth Terminal), Wentloog (Cardiff)
Sources
How we source figures → · Spotted a mistake? Tell us → (opens in a new tab)
Show the 21 sources from Wikimedia Commons, Wikipedia, Stadler Rail and 7 more
- Direct Rail Services Wikipedia (secondary; must be paired), 2026-10-25company facts, fleet
- Direct Rail Services announces retirement of Class 37 locomotives Direct Rail Services, 2024-01-22Class 37 retirement
- British Rail Class 68 Wikipedia (secondary; must be paired), 2026-10-25Class 68 split between DRS and Chiltern
- Class 68 and 88 wrap design and re-livery programme, preliminary market engagement Find a Tender (UK government), 2025-11re-livery programme
- UKLIGHT diesel-electric locomotive (Class 68) data sheet LDEUKLIGHTBRLLDRS0816e Stadler Rail, 2016-08livery photo
- UKDUAL locomotive (Class 88) data sheet LUKDUALBRLLDRS0816e Stadler Rail, 2016-08livery photo
- The future's bright, the future's green (68006 'Pride of the North' green HVO livery) GOV.UK / Nuclear Transport Solutions, Railscot, 2021-1168006, 68014
- Class 66 data sheet (Fiche Class 66 EN) Akiem (locomotive lessor), 20182,462 kW, 1,850 kW at rail, 75 mph (121 km/h), 129.6 t, length 70 ft 3 in (21.400 m)
- DB Cargo UK Fleet (undated page) DB Cargo UK, undated (read 2026-10-25)3,300 bhp, 75 mph (121 km/h), 70 ft 3 in (21.4 m), 129.6 t
- British Rail Class 66 Wikipedia (secondary; must be paired), 2026-10-2570 ft 2 in (21.39 m), 8 ft 8 in (2.63 m) wide, 12 ft 10 in (3.91 m) high; sub-classes
- Twenty DB Cargo UK Class 66s set for export to Romania RAIL magazine, 2026-01-19DB Cargo 137 active
- How Freightliner locomotive fleets are splitting after intermodal sale RAIL magazine, 2026-02-11Freightliner/HHR split
- Class 66 data (loco-info.com) loco-info.com, undatedwheelbase 57 ft 1 in (17.41 m), rigid 13 ft 9 in (4.19 m)
- 66702 _Blue Lightning_ Ely DGL 170522.jpg (photograph, CC BY 2.0) Wikimedia Commons (kitmasterbloke), 21 May 2022the drawing's outline, layout and heights (rectified, level); the GBRf livery
- 66073 Toton 071022.jpg (photograph, CC BY 2.0) Wikimedia Commons (kitmasterbloke), 14 October 2022the DB Cargo livery, the cab doors and details (ratios only)
- 66701 Toton 071022.jpg (photograph, CC BY 2.0) Wikimedia Commons (kitmasterbloke), 14 October 2022a cross-check of the layout; GBRf's colours in overcast light
- Freightliner 66591 (no 1 end, left side).JPG (photograph, CC BY-SA 4.0) Wikimedia Commons (Geof Sheppard), 14 November 2021the HTCR bogie's layout and the wheel size (by ratio)
- 66 598 Rivenhall side on 231120.jpg (photograph, CC BY 2.0) Wikimedia Commons (kitmasterbloke), 23 November 2020the bogie and underframe cross-check; the Freightliner livery
- 66847 and 66849 Eastleigh 301223.jpg (photograph, CC BY 2.0) Wikimedia Commons (kitmasterbloke), 31 December 2023the Colas Rail livery (rectified on its grilles)
- 66421 Gresty Bridge TMD Wilsons Lane 231121.jpg (photograph, CC BY 2.0) Wikimedia Commons (kitmasterbloke), 23 November 2021the DRS livery's blue (read off its cab doors)
- British Rail Class 88 Wikipedia (secondary; must be paired), 2026-10-2586 t, wheel diameter 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)
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unverified
- Class 66 count 19 is a 2024 Wikipedia figure; HHR's page says 66413-420 came from DRS in 2011, so the 66/4 sub-fleet needs a fresh source.
- The Class 68 split (20 DRS vs 14 Chiltern) varies on the Wikipedia pages (13 vs 14).
- Re-livery programme of 68/88 (contract 31 Jan 2026 to 30 Jan 2029): no new scheme seen yet.
- The livery description is from photos in builder data sheets; official colours not published.
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