Euro Cargo Rail

Euro Cargo Rail

Founded	2005
Headquarters	Paris, France
Number of employees	830
Parent	DB Schenker Rail (UK)
Website	www.eurocargorail.com

Euro Cargo Rail is a French rail freight operator formed in 2005 as a subsidiary of English, Welsh and Scottish Railway (EWS).

History

Euro Cargo Rail was founded in February 2005, in April 2005 EWS International was awarded a safety certification allowing freight train operations in France; it was then able to operate trains on behalf of ECR.

The company became a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn in 2007 when its parent EWS was acquired. By 2008 it was the second rail freight company in France after SNCF with 5.3% of the market.

By 2010 the company's market share was estimated at 8%.

In October 2010 Euro Cargo Rail formed a joint venture with the Port of La Rochelle, called OFP La Rochelle.

Fleet

The initial operations of ECR were carried out with four leased Vossloh G1206 diesel locomotives, maintenance of the locomotives was to be carried out at EWS's Dollands Moor depot in the United Kingdom, so the locomotives were given a TOPS classification number, 'Class 21'.

From 2007 to 2009 the company also acquired several Vossloh G1000 BB locomotives, and briefly leased 3 TRAXX F140 AC locomotives from MRCE in 2007; these were return from lease in 2008.

The company began leasing around ten Vossloh G2000 locomotives, and five Vossloh Euro 4000 locomotives (1668mm gauge) in 2008-9 from Angel Trains Cargo.

In 2008 two TRAXX F140 MS locomotives operating in ECR livery were used for homologation of the type in France and Belgium; certification was obtained in July 2009. The two locomotives formed part of an order of 20 units delivery in 2009/10. 45 more units were ordered in 2009 to be split between DB Schenker (25 units) and ECR (20 units), and delivered from 2010 onwards.

EMD Series 66 locomotives were transferred from EWS to ECR; by November 2007 fifty locomotives had been transferred, also in late 2007 the company began receiving shipments of a 60 unit order of EMD Series 66 locomotives, numbered as 'Class 77' from 77001 to 77060.

From 2010 the company began leasing Alstom Prima electric locomotives (sub types BB 27000, and BB 37000 dual and triple voltage) from Akiem. The company also began hiring SNCF Y8000 type shunters from Akiem in the same year.

Euro 4000 in Alsasua, Spain (2009) Euro 4000 in Alsasua, Spain (2009)  ECR Class 77 (2009) ECR Class 77 (2009)  Vossloh G1000 with ECR gypsum train at Beaurières station (2008) Vossloh G1000 with ECR gypsum train at Beaurières station (2008)  TRAXX F140 MS locomotive in Zwankendamme near Zeebrugge, Belgium (2015) TRAXX F140 MS locomotive in Zwankendamme near Zeebrugge, Belgium (2015)

See also

• Europorte, SNCF Fret, VFLI : rail freight operators in France

External links

• Company website