GB Railfreight has named a locomotive as part of COP26 in Glasgow.

GB Railfreight‘s Class 92 electric locomotive No. 92020 was named Billy Stirling during a ceremony at Mossend International Railfreight Park (MIRP).

Class 92s are the UK’s most powerful electric locomotives and can work over all the electrified network and through the Channel Tunnel.

The naming ceremony formed part of the ‘Let’s Talk about Rail Freight’ day at the “Low Carbon Logistics” event during COP26.

Low Carbon Logistics is a three-day event that aims to raise the profile and awareness of the transition to low carbon in the rail and road freight industries.

The event provides the opportunity to celebrate innovation and promote the importance of Pulling Together for Net Zero, and develop support for the UK and Scottish Governments’ vision for a zero-carbon supply chain.

Billy Stirling is the third generation of the 151-year-old family-owned operator, Peter D. Stirling Limited. Billy successfully introduced rail involvement into the company, resulting in the Peter D. Stirling operation moved to Mossend in 1981. Under Billy’s guidance, the operator continued to thrive, resulting in the MIPR of today.

The locomotive name was unveiled by Billy Stirling’s daughter, Julie Corr.

Mossend is located next to the electrified West Coast Main Line. MIRP is Scotland’s largest international multi-modal rail freight park and receives up to 16 trains per day. At peak operation, MIRP has the capacity to save over 200,00 tonnes of carbon per year.

Tim Hartley, Business Development Director of GB Railfreight, said: “Billy Stirling was a true pioneer of the modern rail freight market in Scotland and played a vital role in the UK’s economic prosperity. It’s great to see his legacy live on through the next generation of the Stirling family and the development of a major new low carbon, multi-modal rail freight facility in MIRP.”

David Stirling, Managing Director of Peter D. Stirling Limited, said: “The whole Stirling family is very pleased that our father, Billy Stirling’s hard work in building up the business has been recognised in such a magnificent way. His name is now attached to one of the strongest and ‘greenest’ electric freight locomotives around – something he would have been very proud of.”

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