Railway Forum - Final Class 66 locomotive arrives in the UK at Newport docks

Thanks for that interesting post SWA. I was wondering when this would happen. Under EU emission rules we won't be able to import any more 66s once the current order book is complete (and many drivers would say this is a good thing).

I wonder if we will still have the same rules if we leave the EU ?

(Not intending to start an In/Out discussion, just wondering if the regs still apply to us IF we come out).

Quote:

The rail freight sector has grown exponentially over the past twenty years resulting in an unprecedented demand for new motive power. In recent months the major UK rail freight companies have had their cheque books out in a major spending spree. Rail Magazine has summarized the latest purchases of diesel locomotives:-

21 x EMD Class 66s for GBRf.
15 x Vossloh Class 68s for DRS.
10 x General Electric Class 70s for Colas Rail

Source: Rail 741 (5-18 February 2014)

However, the reason for this latest rush is due in part to the need to acquire new locomotives before more stringent EU emission limits bite at the end of the year. There is likely to be a shortage of locomotives which are compliant with these limits. In fact, these more stringent standards are already in force. At the end of the year, however, a period of grace under which a number of locomotives could be marketed which only complied with an earlier set of standards, will expire.

Source: Reading University article - 'Railways & Law'