Editing Transrail Freight (section)

==History==
'''Transrail''' was created in 1994 along with [[Mainline Freight]] and [[Loadhaul]] as part of the broadly regional split of British Rail's [[Trainload Freight]] operations. Transrail had the largest operating area of the three companies, operating in Scotland, Wales and the entire west of England (South West, West Midlands, and North West). The three companies were created with the aim of promoting competition between the businesses.<ref name="re1">{{citation| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=q4i0QrixNI0C| title = Report of the 125th Round Table on Transport Economics, Paris 28th–29th November 2002: European Integration of Rail Freight Transport | first1 = C.|last1 = Nash| first2 = T. |last2 = Fowkes| editor = European Conference of Ministers of Transport. Economic Research Centre| publisher = OECD Publishing| year = 2004 | chapter = Rail Privatisation in Britain – Lessons for the rail freight industry : 2. The privatisation process| isbn = 9789282113196 |at = pp.61–95; C. Trainload, p.70; C1 EWS, pp.70–1 |chapter-url = https://books.google.com/books?id=q4i0QrixNI0C&pg=PA63}}</ref><ref name="re2">
{{citation| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=hFDrKNKmJ8UC| title= The dynamics of freight transport development: a UK and Swiss comparison| author = Philippe Thalmann| publisher = Ashgate Publishing| year = 2004| isbn= 9780754637561|at = The Privatisation of the Freight Business, p.34–35}}</ref> It was initially and briefly named "Trainload Freight West Limited" before being re-branded in July 1994.<ref>{{citation| url = http://wck2.companieshouse.gov.uk| title = WebCHeck – Select and Access Company Information| publisher = [[Companies House]]}}, see entries for TRANSRAIL FREIGHT LIMITED</ref>

Transrail had the largest inherited operating area of the three post-[[Trainload Freight]] companies, but the least amount of traffic. The company initiated a long-distance wagonload train service branded 'Enterprise',<ref>{{citation|journal = [[Railfan & Railroad]]| volume = 15| publisher = Carstens Publications| year = 1996|title = Transrail Freight| page =44|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=7-1VAAAAMAAJ}}</ref> later operated by EWS as the 'EWS Enterprise' service.<ref>{{citation| url  =http://www.railwaygazette.com/nc/news/single-view/view/best-practice-must-cross-the-frontiers.html| title = Best practice must cross the frontiers| date =1 February 1997| work = railwaygazette.com| publisher = [[Railway Gazette International]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title= The EWS story | magazine = [[The Railway Magazine]] |date=2006  | pages=17–23}}</ref>{{Full citation needed|date=May 2023}}<!-- Issue number not re-added in as it was not the right issue number -->

All three former [[Trainload Freight]] companies were acquired in February 1996 by North-South Railways, a company formed by a consortium led by US railroad company [[Wisconsin Central Ltd.|Wisconsin Central]], for a combined total of £225.15&nbsp;million (approximately US$349&nbsp;million).  The three companies and [[Rail Express Systems]] were merged to form [[DB Cargo UK|English Welsh & Scottish]] (EWS).<ref name="re1"/><ref name="re2"/><ref name="rp275">{{cite web|url = https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written-answers/1996/nov/27/rail-privatisation| work = [[Hansard|Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)]]|title = Rail Privatisation| date = 27 December 1996| publisher = Hansard, House of Commons, UK| at = volume 296, 275W}}</ref><ref>{{citation| url = http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1215/is_n3_v197/ai_18135844/| journal = Railway Age| date = Mar 1996| title = WC group buys British freight services – Wisconsin Central buys Loadhaul, Transrail and Mainline Freight| publisher = Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation}}</ref>