Rolling Stock

Passenger Rolling Stock

As one of three major rolling stock companies, Porterbrook has been active in the UK rail industry since it was privatised in 1994. By providing train operating companies with modern rolling stock, passengers can benefit from comfortable services and the latest technology, and operators can be assured of high standards of reliability and performance from their fleets.

Porterbrook’s decision to invest in common product lines, such as the Electrical Multiple Unit (EMU)s and Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU)s has been the result of a conscious objective to optimise performance.

Porterbrook’s culture is of being highly proactive and pioneering, as evidenced by the purchase of the first new passenger trains in the UK post-privatisation and subsequent award of the largest single order of new vehicles with the purchase of 700 Class 377 Electrostar vehicles. Similarly Porterbrook was the first rolling stock leasing company to add freight equipment to its portfolio.

As well as investing in new trains, Porterbrook finances the refurbishment and upgrading of existing stock to modern standards and has already invested more than £200 million in this process, as a result enhanced passenger comfort and safety creates the effect of new trains thereby extending the operational life of the vehicles.

Since 1996 Porterbrook has invested in over 1,700 new passenger vehicles for UK rail industry.

Freight Rolling Stock

Originally established to operate in the rail passenger market, Porterbrook quickly took the opportunity to expand into rail freight which clearly needed investment to modernise its ageing fleet. Soon after privatisation, Porterbrook undertook a purchase and leaseback arrangement on a freight fleet of 345 wagons and 70 locomotives. Since then it has secured leases with the principal freight operating companies.

Since 1996 Porterbrook has invested in over 2,000 new freight vehicles for the UK rail industry.