GB Railfreight has accepted a deal with Caledonian Sleeper Ltd, which will see it continue to haul its sleeper coaches for a further seven years.

The contract came into action on Sunday the 25th of June as the sleeper service moved into public sector control via the Scottish Government.

Caledonian Sleeper will see GB Railfreight usher the popular services into a new era which will see seven trains operated across six nights of the week, hauling Mk5 coaches between London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Aberdeen & Fort William.

The services will see GB Railfreight operate Class 92s and Class 73s and due to the length of the contract, the rail operator may introduce its new bi-mode Class 99 locomotives in the future, which will bring substantial benefits to the environment thanks to its reduced volume of carbon produced in operation.

GB Railfreight has hauled the Caledonian Sleeper services since 2015 and this renewal supports the original 15-year contract. The service is seeing its highest-ever demand and a continuation in service with GB Railfreight will also provide less disruption for passengers in this time of transition.

John Smith, CEO of GB Railfreight, said: “This new partnership with Transport Scotland is another great example of GB Railfreight’s ability to deliver an excellent and reliable haulage service. As the iconic Caledonian Sleeper enters a new era, we are extremely proud to be working with Transport Scotland and look forward to continuing to deliver fantastic service to passengers for many years to come.”