DB Cargo UK has frequently been busy with the paintbrush, including the most fiery livery yet, the “Steel on Steel” variant most recently released into service on a class 60 locomotive. The eye-catching design highlights the part rail freight plays in sustaining the steel industry. It is also part of the company’s wider “Freight Belongs on Rail” campaign.

Multimodal and aggregates get all the rail freight headlines these days. However, significant specialist movements are made by rail as well, and DB Cargo UK has been highlighting those aspects of the industry with their series of specially liveried locomotives, designed to catch the eye and alert the public to the active part rail freight plays in the wider economy.

Designed for heavy haulage

DB Cargo UK’s newly liveried class 60 locomotive (60062) is celebrating the important role rail freight plays in supporting the UK’s metals transportation market. “Steel on Steel”, finished in a striking foundry flame design, is being utilised for the movement of metal products across the UK.

The locomotive chosen for the livery is from a class designed for heavy haulage, typical of the duties required. The numbers, as always for rail freight, are impressive. A single train load of steel coil can produce over 1000 new cars or 60,000 domestic white goods.

Steel logistics centre

The locomotive has been rostered to transport steel coil to the Wolverhampton Steel Logistics Centre, in the English West Midlands. The centre itself is an impressive 11,800 square metres with the capacity to store 48,000 tonnes of steel.

The centre was doubled in size in 2018 as part of a programme to meet demand. The logistics centre is used by most of the metals industry in the UK, and has been a major employment opportunity for the city.

Underpinning major industry

According to DB, the locomotive represents the latest instalment in the company’s Freight Belongs on Rail campaign, which has been used to highlight the significance of rail freight to the UK economy. The Campaign also helps drive the ambitious modal shift growth target, mandated by government.

“The role of rail freight in the UK is pivotal to both the economy and the environment and it is our duty to drive the growth of our sector”, said Andrea Rossi, the DB Cargo UK CEO. “We underpin major industry sectors in the UK and our heritage with the metal sector is one we are incredibly proud of.”

Figures supplied by DB put the rail freight contribution to the economy at the movement of around 30 billion pounds (35.4 billion euro) worth of essential products around Britain each year, as well as to and from mainland Europe. An estimated 2.9 million truck movements from the roads each year.