Mainline Freight
{{Short description|British rail freight operator}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2013}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Mainline Freight Ltd
| logo = Mainline freight logo.svg
| logo_size = 200px
| image = 37047 and 37109 at Cheltenham Spa.JPG
| image_size = 250px
| caption =
| type =
| genre =
| fate = Acquired by Wisconsin Central Ltd.
| predecessor =
| successor = English Welsh & Scottish
| foundation = 9 June 1994 as Trainload Freight South East
| founder =
| defunct = 1996
| location_city = Islington{{citation needed|date=March 2012}}
| location_country = United Kingdom
| location =
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| key_people =
| industry = Rail freight
| products =
| services = Freight train owner/operator
| revenue =
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| parent = British Rail
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}}
Mainline Freight was a trainload rail freight operator based in Islington, London, England with operations extending to Yorkshire in the north and Somerset in the west. It was formed from part of British Rail's Trainload Freight division as part of the privatisation of British Rail.
Mainline Freight, Loadhaul and Transrail were purchased by a consortium led by Wisconsin Central in 1996 and amalgamated into a new company, English Welsh & Scottish.
History
Mainline Freight was created in 1994 along with Transrail and Loadhaul as part of the broadly regional split of British Rail's Trainload Freight operations – Mainline Freight's centre of operations were South East England, and East Anglia, and the East Midlands. Three companies were created with the aim of promoting competition between the businesses.Sources:
- {{citation| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=q4i0QrixNI0C| title= Report of the Hundred and Twenty Fifth Round Table on Transport Economics Held in Paris on 28th-29th November 2002 on the Following Topic: European Integration of Rail Freight Transport | author=C. Nash| author2= T. Fowkes| editor = European Conference of Ministers of Transport. Economic Research Centre| publisher = OECD Publishing| year =2004 | chapter = Rail Privatisation in Britain – Lessons for the rail freight industry : 2. The privatisation process| isbn= 9789282113196 |at = C. Trainload, p. 70; C1 EWS, pp. 70–1 = |chapter-url = https://books.google.com/books?id=q4i0QrixNI0C&pg=PA63 }}
- {{citation| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=hFDrKNKmJ8UC| title= The dynamics of freight transport development: a UK and Swiss comparison| author = Philippe Thalmann| publisher = Ashgate Publishing| year = 2004| isbn= 9780754637561|at = The Privatisation of the Freight Business, pp. 34–35}} It was initially and briefly named "Trainload Freight South East Limited" before being re-branded in September 1994.{{citation| url = http://wck2.companieshouse.gov.uk| title = WebCHeck – Select and Access Company Information| publisher = Companies House}}, see entries for MAINLINE FREIGHT LIMITED, Company No. 02938986
All three former Trainload Freight companies including Mainline Freight were acquired in February 1996 by 'North-South Railways': a company formed by a consortium led by US railroad company Wisconsin Central, for a combined total of £225.15million (approximately $349 million).{{cite web|url = https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written-answers/1996/nov/27/rail-privatisation| work = Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)|title = Rail Privatisation| date = 27 December 1996| publisher = Hansard, House of Commons, UK| at = volume 296, 275W}}{{citation| url = http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1215/is_n3_v197/ai_18135844/| journal = Railway Age| date = March 1996| title = WC group buys British freight services – Wisconsin Central buys Loadhaul, Transrail and Mainline Freight| publisher = Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation}} The management of Mainline Freight, backed by Candover and Associated British Ports also formed a bidding consortium for the three former Trainload Freight companies.{{cite press release| url = http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/cgi/news/release?id=58074| title = ABP HOLDINGS PLC IN CONSORTIUM LED BY CANDOVER TO BID FOR TRAINLOAD FREIGHT| date = 11 November 1995| agency = PR Newswire}} The three companies together with Rail Express Systems were formed into a new company, English Welsh & Scottish (EWS).
Fleet
File:37047-ActonMainLine-20040929.JPG
{{unreferenced section|date=March 2012}}
Mainline Freight's fleet consisted of Class 08, Class 09, Class 31, Class 33, Class 37, Class 47, Class 58, Class 60 and Class 73 locomotives based at Toton, Stratford, Hither Green, Stewarts Lane and Eastleigh depots
=Livery=
File:37891 British Rail class 37 diesel loco.jpg
The company introduced a livery of 'aircraft blue' with a silver bodyside stripe, and "rolling wheels" logo with Mainline branding. Some locomotives (particularly the classes 33, 37, 58 and 60) retained the Trainload Freight two-tone grey livery but with the addition of the Mainline Freight logo.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{commons category|Mainline Freight}}
{{British freight operators}}
Category:Rail freight companies in the United Kingdom
Category:Privatisation of British Rail
{{UK-rail-transport-stub}}