RAILADVENTURE, which specialises in transporting and testing new trains, has announced it will invest in British company Hanson & Hall Rail Services and purchase eight new locomotives as it looks to expand its footprint in the British market.
RailAdventure says it has recently been involved in the delivery of new vehicle fleets from European manufacturers to Britain and, with many suppliers beginning to build up operations in Britain, the Munich-based company says there is growing local demand.
Hanson & Hall was formed three years ago to provide support services for the British rail industry and operators. As part of the new investment, company will now operate under the name “Hanson & Hall Part of the RailAdventure Group.”
Hanson & Hall is currently operating with two locomotives, a class 31 and a class 50, which will also bear RailAdventure’s livery in future.
In order to continue its strategy of operating locomotives that cannot be aligned with any current manufacturer or customer, RailAdventure will purchase eight class 43 locomotives from an unnamed rolling stock leasing company. The locomotives previously hauled Britain’s InterCity 125 HST services, with a maximum speed of 238km/h.
“What we want to avoid is, for example, using a current product of a locomotive manufacturer to transport the prototype of another competing company, which can lead to conflicts of interest with our customers,” says RailAdventure managing director, Mr Alex Dworaczek.
Six of the power cars will form three double locomotives, while two will serve as spare parts donors.
Over the next few months, the class 43s will be equipped with translator technology which allows the electro-pneumatic brakes of towed multiple units to be controlled from the locomotive. Habfis coupling adapter cars will also be transferred to Britain. The first two power cars with the numbers 43480 and 43484 have already been repainted and are now available for operation.
RailAdventure also plans to use these fast diesel locomotives as traction vehicles for new vehicles on test rings in Central Europe.
In future, the double locomotives will be available for services primarily from RailAdventure’s London location, which has direct access to the East Coast Main Line, Midlands Main Line, West Coast Main Line, and the Southern and Great Western Railway networks.
