A Solution for freight services running diesels 'under the wires'?

[GB]

You've answered your question. It's the labour cost of a light engine movement to meet the train and along with track access charges and fuel, labour is a large cost to the business. Using too many loco's for one journey has done the once mighty SNCF Fret a lot of damage. Light engine movements cost money!



It can only have been a Class 86.

A lot of it also comes down to times and pathing restraints. I don't know how long it takes to prep an electric loco but to prep a class 66 by the book is 20 minutes (longer if the loco has been shut down 24 hrs), you then have to get it onto the train after you have moved the other one and then give it a full brake test so your looking at least 40 minutes.

Might not sound much but you might then have to wait xxx amount of minutes for a suitable path and all the while the train is not being productive and limits loading/unloading times at its origin and destination.

Operators do look at AC vs Diesel (we are still exploring the idea at putting an electric on one of our Intermodals) but it has to be viable and beneficial for them to do it.