FIVE former CrossCountry Class 43 High Speed Train power cars have transferred to Colas Railfreight, where they will be used to power Network Rail test trains.
This move will allow Colas to transfer Class 37s to freight duties.
The first ‘43’ to transfer was No. 43285, which ran north as the 0Z30 11.50 Plymouth Laira-Derby on October 10, to commence modifications for its new role.
This was followed by Nos. 43301/303/321/357 on October 13, running under a 0Z40 19.10 headcode to Exeter Riverside, before continuing to the Rail Innovation & Development Centre (RIDC) at Asfordby for warm storage on October 16, as the 0Z60 11.00 Exeter Riverside-Old Dalby. All five ‘43s’, leased from Porterbrook, have been transferred from the EHPC pool to COTS.
The ‘43s’ will join Colas and Network Rail’s existing fleet. This includes the original three NR ‘43s’ in the QCAR pool, Nos. 43013/014/062, all of which have barely worked since between March-July 2021, having received overhauls and European Train Control System (ETCS) equipment upgrades, and the two former London North Eastern Railway (LNER) machines drafted in from Porterbrook as cover, SBXL-allocated Nos. 43290/299. Colas’ own fleet comprises ex-LNER/East Midlands Railway Nos. 43251/257/272/274/277.
No. 43285 debuted
