Video: Orange locomotive gets the greenest of names

A DIESEL locomotive that hauls fuel trains has been officially named at the National Railway Museum in York.
By The Newsroom
Published 19th Jan 2012, 09:05 BST

The Eco Express represents a partnership between Drax Power Ltd (Drax) and GB Railfreight (GBRf) and was named to celebrate the firms’ claim of efficient movement of renewable and sustainable biomass material from the Port of Tyne in South Shields to Drax Power Station, near Selby.

GBRf regularly transports 500,000 tonnes of biomass fuel from the port to the power station, where it is burnt to produce low carbon electricity.

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The name of the locomotive was chosen by nine-year-old Sophie English.

She won a children’s competition at last year’s Great Yorkshire Show.

Drax chief executive Dorothy Thompson, who was the naming ceremony yesterday, said: “Our partnership with GBRf and the naming of this locomotive by Sophie English demonstrates our joint commitment to strong, efficient rail links and a low carbon future.”

The Eco Express and Drax Power Station – another locomotive given a name by GBRf – both regularly haul long freight trains past the York museum en route from Tyneside to North Yorkshire.

Related topics:York