DB Schenker Rail UK wins new contract with the Royal Mail

Doncaster-based DB Schenker Rail UK has secured a new contract with the Royal Mail.

The Yorkshire rail freight company has retained the contract it has been operating since 2010, beating out some very strong competition.

Beginning on 1 June, 2015, for a minimum of three years, the new deal will see DB Schenker Rail continue to operate six daily services on the West Coast Main Line and two on the East Coast Main Line together with maintaining Royal Mail’s fleet of 15 Class 325 mail trains.

David Hawkins, Royal Mail’s Head of Contract Operations, said: “Our rail network has improved year on year and we are delighted to be continuing our relationship with DBS. We are currently part way through a major refit programme and we are seeing the benefit of working with a partner that provides both Operational solutions and Engineering expertise.”

DB Schenker Rail UK, which just launched an online platform that customers can use on any device with a browser, is the UK’s largest rail freight operator, operating over 5,000 trains each week and employing over 3,000 people in the UK.

Mark Fernandez, acting head of sales at DB Schenker Rail UK, said: “We are delighted to have retained the Royal Mail contract. We put our customers at the heart of everything we do and believe they choose us because of our partnership approach and desire to find flexible and sustainable solutions.

“We have enjoyed an excellent collaborative working relationship with the Royal Mail on the current contract, which includes consistently reliable delivery and considerable improvements in their Class 325 performance since we took over the locomotive maintenance.”