GBRf Class 99 Begins Commercial Freight Service in UK

UK: GB Railfreight has put its first Class 99 hybrid locomotive into commercial freight operation, with 99001 running an intermodal service from London Gateway to Hams Hall in the West Midlands.

The run is the first commercial Class 99 service after more than four and a half years of planning, engineering, testing and collaboration between GBRf, Stadler, Beacon Rail and Network Rail. The locomotive moved an intermodal train from DP World London Gateway to Maritime Transport’s Hams Hall Rail Freight Terminal.

Commercial launch starts 30-locomotive rollout

GBRf’s programme covers 30 Class 99 locomotives, supplied by Stadler for Beacon Rail and operated by GBRf. In May 2026, the operator said it had accepted the first six units into its fleet, allowing driver training to expand ahead of service entry.

GBRf’s dedicated Class 99 page says fleet deployment is continuing through 2026 and that the remaining locomotives are expected to arrive during 2026 and into early 2027. That makes 99001’s first commercial run the start of the operational rollout rather than the completion of the programme.

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Class 99 combines electric and diesel power

Stadler’s Class 99 technical sheet lists a Co’Co’ bi-mode locomotive designed for Britain’s gauge, with 25 kV AC electrical supply, 6,170 kW at wheel in electric mode, and a 1,790 kW Cummins QSK50 Stage V diesel engine for non-electrified lines. Starting tractive effort is listed at 500 kN, continuous tractive effort at 430 kN, and maximum speed at 120 km/h.

GBRf says the locomotives are intended to combine electric power with HVO renewable fuel, allowing a single locomotive to continue beyond electrified sections. The supplied source notes that around 40% of Britain’s railway network is currently electrified and says the Class 99 is designed to cut emissions by more than half on a typical journey.

Improved acceleration is also expected to help freight trains fit more efficiently around passenger services, but the first commercial operation does not yet establish a network-wide capacity gain. For now, the confirmed change is simpler: Class 99 has moved from testing into commercial service, with the wider 30-locomotive deployment still under way.