Editing Direct Rail Services (section)

==Fleet==
The initial fleet of locomotives were five [[British Rail Class 20|Class 20/3s]] which were overhauled at [[Brush Traction]], [[Loughborough]] for their new duties.<ref name = "nuclear 1996">{{cite magazine |title = Nuclear power |magazine = Rail |issue = 263 |date = 11 October 1995 |page = 6}}</ref>

[[File:DRS locos at Eastleigh.jpg|thumb|DRS locos awaiting overhaul at Eastleigh Works, October 2009]]
In 1997, six [[British Rail Class 37|Class 37/6s]] were purchased from international high speed passenger operator [[Eurostar]].<ref>{{cite magazine |title = Direct Rail Services buys Eurostar locomotives and doubles its fleet |magazine = Rail |issue = 308 |date = 2 July 1997 |page = 6}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last = Marsden |first = Colin |title = Direct Rail Services traction fleet expands to 23 locos |magazine = The Railway Magazine |volume = 143 |issue = 1,157 |date = September 1997 |page = 63 |issn = 0033-8923}}</ref> DRS would later build up an extensive fleet of [[British Rail Class 37|Class 37]] and [[British Rail Class 47|47]] locomotives from various sources. In 2001, a number of [[British Rail Class 33|Class 33s]] were purchased.<ref>{{cite magazine |last = Brown |first = Murray |title = DRS treatment for a Crompton |magazine = Rail Express |issue = 62 |date = July 2001 |page = 9 |issn = 1362-234X}}</ref> During 2004, three [[British Rail Class 87|Class 87s]] were trialed, but returned to their leasing company after six months.<ref>{{cite magazine |last = Milner |first = Chris |title = DRS to use Class 87s on freight |magazine = The Railway Magazine |volume = 150 |issue = 1,244 |date = December 2004 |page = 65 |issn = 0033-8923}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last = Milner |first = Chris |title = DRS hands back Class 87s |magazine = The Railway Magazine |volume = 151 |issue = 1,252 |date = August 2005 |page = 74 |issn = 0033-8923}}</ref> During 2008, DRS initiated efforts to acquire [[British Rail Class 57|Class 57]] locomotives; by 2013, it operated nine former [[Freightliner Group|Freightliner]] 57/0s as well as 12 former [[Virgin Trains]] 57/3s.<ref>{{cite magazine |last = Milner |first = Chris |title = Two more Class 57s for DRS |magazine = The Railway Magazine |volume = 154 |issue = 1,289 |date = September 2008 |page = 82 |issn = 0033-8923}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last = Milner |first = Chris |title = Remaining Class 57/3s snapped up by DRS and West Coast Co |magazine = The Railway Magazine |volume = 159 |issue = 1,343 |date = March 2013 |page = 80 |issn = 0033-8923}}</ref>

On 12 September 2013, it was announced that DRS would be the launch customer for the new [[Vossloh Euro Dual]] dual-mode freight locomotive by [[MACOSA#Vossloh España|Vossloh España]]. These would become {{Brc|88}}.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/drs-orders-10-electro-diesel-locomotives-from-vossloh.html |title = DRS orders 10 electro-diesel locomotives from Vossloh |publisher = [[Railway Gazette International]] |date = 12 September 2013 |access-date = 15 September 2013 |archive-date = 17 October 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141017033402/http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/drs-orders-10-electro-diesel-locomotives-from-vossloh.html |url-status = dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.railmagazine.com/news/fleet/2016/09/20/new-88s-set-to-displace-older-drs-locomotives |title = New '88s' set to displace older DRS locomotives |publisher = railmagazine.com |date = 22 September 2016}}</ref> DRS took delivery of the first of 15 new {{brc|68}}s in February 2014; these are diesel-only versions of the Class 88s which would arrive later.<ref>{{cite magazine |editor-last = Harris |editor-first = Nigel |title = First Direct Rail Services 68 delivered to UK |magazine = Rail Magazine |issue = 741 |date = 5 February 2014 |page = 17 |publisher = Bauer Media |location = Peterborough |issn = 0953-4563}}</ref> During October 2014, a further ten were ordered followed by another seven in July 2015.<ref>{{cite magazine |title = 10 More 68s for DRS |magazine = [[Modern Railways]] |issue = 793 |date = October 2014 |page = 18}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |editor-last = Piggott |editor-first = Nick |title = DRS orders seven more Class 68s |magazine = The Railway Magazine |volume = 160 |issue = 1,373 |date = August 2015 |page = 6 |issn = 0033-8923}}</ref> In April 2015, two Class 68s commenced operating [[Fife Circle Line]] services for [[Abellio ScotRail]]. A further batch of six Class 68s (68020{{ndash}}68025) were delivered by on 5 April 2016.

[[File:Crewe Gresty Bridge DRS Open Day 21.jpg|thumb|DRS Class 90 electric locomotive no.90034 at Crewe Gresty Bridge depot Open Day on 19 July 2014]]
On 8 January 2016, DRS announced it would sell 12 of its older locomotives, including one {{Brc|20}} locomotive (20312), six Class 37 locomotives (37503/510/521/608/611/670) and five Class 47 locomotives (47810/13/18/28/53) along with two of its [[British Railways Mark 2|Mark 2]] coaches.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.directrailservices.com/news-articles/2016/01/08/sale-of-surplus-assets/ |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160126033324/http://www.directrailservices.com/news-articles/2016/01/08/sale-of-surplus-assets/ |archive-date = 26 January 2016 |title = Sale of Surplus Assets |publisher = Direct Rail Services}}</ref> By January 2022, the company was in the process of disposing of older rolling stock, such as Class 20s, Class 37s, Class 57s, and Mark 2 coaches, along with associated spare parts and other elements; this was reportedly one part of a wider fleet modernisation effort.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.railmagazine.com/news/network/2022/01/12/direct-rail-services-disposes-of-heritage-locomotives |title = Direct Rail Services disposes of heritage locomotives |publisher = railmagazine.com |date = 15 January 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.railmagazine.com/news/network/drs-develops-strategy-to-eliminate-older-traction |title = EXCLUSIVE: DRS develops strategy to eliminate older traction |publisher = railmagazine.com |date = 20 August 2019}}</ref>

66301-66305 left DRS for [[GB Railfreight|GBRf]] at the end of 2022, as DRS restructured its fleet.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.pressreader.com/uk/railways-illustrated/20220802/281767042960598|title=|via=PressReader}}</ref>

===Current fleet===
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Class
!Image
!Type
!Built
!Number
!Wheel Arr
!Notes
|-
|[[British Rail Class 57|Class 57/3]]
|[[File:DRS Class 57, 57304 "Pride of Cheshire", Crewe railway station (geograph 4524763).jpg|120x120px]]
| rowspan="3" |[[Diesel locomotive]]
|1998-04
|5
| rowspan="2" |Co-Co
|Originally a fleet of 21 locomotives converted from [[British Rail Class 47|Class 47s]]. Only 4 are operational with DRS as of 2024.

* 4 are used for Thunderbird duty on the [[West Coast Main Line|West Coast Mainline]]
* 1 is awaiting disposal 
|-
|[[British Rail Class 66|Class 66/0,& 66/4]]
|[[File:Nuclear flask train approaching How Mill - March 2017 - geograph.org.uk - 5330867.jpg|120x120px]]
|2002-08
|19
|Originally a fleet of 39 locomotives. Only 19 are in use with DRS as of 2024.
|-
|[[British Rail Class 68|Class 68/0]]
|[[File:6C19 Sellafield-Heysham empty flasks passes through Carnforth with 68033 The Poppy leading and 68034 Rail Riders 2020 trailing at this point. - 52988043286.jpg|119x119px]]
[[File:68014 Chiltern Banbury 14-03-17 (35054510600).jpg|120x120px]]
|2013-17
|20
| rowspan="2" |Bo-Bo
|Originally a fleet of 34 locomotives. 20 are operational as of 2024.

* 14 were subleased to [[TransPennine Express]] before being placed into storage
* 6 are subleased to [[Chiltern Railways]]
|-
|[[British Rail Class 88|Class 88/0]]
|[[File:Oxenholme Station - geograph.org.uk - 6776962.jpg|120x120px]]
|[[Electro-diesel locomotive|Bi-mode locomotive]]
|2015
|10
|
|}

=== Past fleet ===
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Class
!Image
!Type
!Built
!Number
!Wheel Arr
!Notes
|-
|[[British Rail Class 20|Class 20/3, 20/9]]
|[[File:York - DRS 20308 and 20312.jpg|120x120px]]
| rowspan="7" |[[Diesel locomotive]]
|1957-1962,
1965-1968
|21
| rowspan="2" |Bo-Bo
|Fleet of 21 locomotives. All were withdrawn between 2004 and 2016.

* 13 were sold to [[Harry Needle Railroad Company]] with 10 in storage
* 6 were scrapped
* 2 were sold to [[Balfour Beatty]]
|-
|[[British Rail Class 33|Class 33/0, 33/2, 33/3 Minimodal]]
|[[File:Diesel Locos Visiting the KWVR Gala on Bridge - geograph.org.uk - 76621.jpg|120x120px]]
|1960-62
|5
|Fleet of 5 locomotives. All withdrawn in September 2005.

* 4 were sold to [[West Coast Railways]]
* 1 was scrapped
|-
|[[British Rail Class 37|Class 37/0, 37/4, & 37/7]]
|[[File:37423 & Caroline Danesmoor.jpg|120x120px]]
|1960-65
|20
| rowspan="4" |Co-Co
|Fleet of 20 locomotives. All were withdrawn between 2016 and 2024.

* 9 are in storage with [[Harry Needle Railroad Company]]
* 4 were sold to [[Europhoenix]]
* 3 were sold to [[Locomotive Services Limited]]
* 2 were sold to [[Harry Needle Railroad Company]]
* 1 was sold to [[Loram Maintenance of Way|Loram UK]]
* 1 was scrapped
|-
|Class 47/5, 47/7 & 47/8
|[[File:47 818 near Postwick with 16.20 ex-Yarmouth.jpg|120x120px]]
|1962-1968
|16
|Fleet of 16 locomotives. All were withdrawn between 2012 and 2018.

* 6 were sold to [[Locomotive Services Limited]]
* 5 were scrapped
* 2 were sold to [[West Coast Railways]]
* 1 was sold to [[Rail Operations Group]]
* 1 was preserved by [https://www.facebook.com/D05pres?locale=en_GB D05 Preservation Limited] 
* 1 was sold to Arlington Fleet Group, Eastleigh to be used as a shunter
|-
|[[British Rail Class 57|Class 57/0 & 57/3]]
|[[File:57306 at Greenholme - geograph.org.uk - 4511517.jpg|120x120px]]
|1998-2004
|16
|
* 5 were sold to [[West Coast Railways]] with 2 used as a source of spare parts
* 5 were sold to [[Locomotive Services Limited]], 1 of which was later scrapped
* 4 were sold to [[GB Railfreight|GBRf]]
* 1 was sold to [[Great Western Railway (train operating company)|GWR]]
* 1 was sold to [[Harry Needle Railroad Company]]
|-
|[[British Rail Class 66|Class 66/4]]
|[[File:Nuclear flask train approaching How Mill - March 2017 - geograph.org.uk - 5330867.jpg|120x120px]]
|2002-2008
|20
|
* 10 were sold to [[Freightliner Group|Freightliner]]
* 10 were sold to [[GB Railfreight|GBRF]]
|-
|[[British Rail Class 68|Class 68/0]]
|[[File:TransPennine Express 68019 Brutus at Gresty Bridge, July 2018.jpg|120x120px]]
|2013-2017
|14
| rowspan="3" |Bo-Bo
|14 returned to Beacon Rail Leasing after use with [[TransPennine Express]].
|-
|[[British Rail Class 87|Class 87]]
|
|[[Electric locomotive]]
|1973-1975
|3
|3 were trialled during 2004 for three months before being returned to their leasing company.
|-
|[[British Rail Class 90|Class 90]]
|[[File:Crewe Gresty Bridge DRS Open Day 21.jpg|120x120px]]
|[[Electric locomotive]]
|1987-1990
|1
|1 was leased from [[DB Cargo UK]] for use with [[Virgin Trains]] for their "[[Pretendolino]]" train before being returned.
|}