UK: Independent wagon manufacturer WH Davis is to manufacturer 150 intermodal wagons of a new design for Porterbrook to lease to Freightliner.
The wagons are to be delivered from Q1 2027, with the design based on 40 ft platforms expected to offer greater efficiencies and around a 7% carbon reduction compared to 60 ft platforms.
‘Securing this order for our new wagon design represents a significant milestone for our business, and we are looking forward to building on the collaborative relationship between the three companies’, WH Davis Managing Director Andy Houghton said when the deal was announced on December 8.
Chris Lawrenson, Managing Director for Freightliner Intermodal Logistics, said ‘supporting UK manufacturing wherever viable is not just important to us as a business, but also to our country’s economy. These new 40 ft wagons will bring in further efficiencies to our services and increase modal share to rail from road, which in turn allows us to deliver more effectively for our customers, enabling growth and ultimately removing more lorries from our congested roads.’
Wabtec will supply Axiom TF20+ bogies and UIC brake equipment. ‘This will deliver key life-cycle benefits, including extended wheel life, fuel savings and reduced track access charges’, said Tim Bentley, Group Vice-President Regional Services for Wabtec UK.
Max Ordish, Head of Freight & Commercial Projects at Porterbrook, said the order of the new design ‘serves as a landmark deal in our portfolio and will help our customer achieve greater efficiencies and fewer carbon emissions in its future operations’.
