DCRail has entered a new three-year contract with Leicester-based UKRL, who will undertake all servicing on their fleet of Class 60 locomotives.

DCRail specialises in rail transportation of construction materials for UK clients.

It is part of the London-based Cappagh Group of companies, which provides a wide range of construction services and has an annual turnover of over £200m.

Initially established as a locomotive leasing company, UKRL adapted into maintenance and service operations.

They have been serving the rail industry for the past ten years. In 2014, it made a multi-million-pound investment in facilities at its Leicester Depot when it took on the overnight maintenance and servicing of the East Midland Railways fleet. 

This contract is a development of the previous agreement that had been in place since April 2022. Under the new contract, UKRL will conduct regular examinations at the Leicester depot, where it undertakes maintenance, overnight servicing, train care and fuelling for various rail vehicle types.

UKRL is continuing to grow in Leicester and will invest more in the site to enhance its maintenance, engineering, and overhaul capability. In addition, the company is expanding other commercial and track side services throughout the UK.

I am very pleased that our relationship with UKRL continues to flourish. Over the last two years
we have worked together to maximise the availability of our locomotive fleet with the
regular ‘B’ exams now being undertaken in under seven days and overall fleet
availability increased to over 90%. This is a remarkable achievement on a small fleet
of locomotives for which we plan 75% availability. The ability to minimise fleet down
time means that DCRail can offer customers efficient supply chain solutions, reducing
carbon emissions and assisting the move to net zero

David Fletcher, Director for Rail for the Cappagh Group of Companies

The signing of this contract builds upon a long and collaborative relationship between our respective teams. Together we’ve not only undertaken core maintenance, but also increased asset availability by significantly reducing downtime. This partnership spirit, underpinned by unrivalled expertise is now driving a joint focus on adding additional value and capacity to DCRail operations.

Gareth Roberts, Managing Director of UK