DRS win “Asda Rail Carrier of the Year Award”

PRESS RELEASE
9th March 2009

Direct Rail Services Limited (DRS) have beaten off stiff competition to win the ‘Asda Rail Carrier of the Year’ Award at a prestigous gala awards ceremony in Leeds recently. This award is for the provision of intermodal rail freight services for six days a week between Aberdeen and Grangemouth. The service has been running successfully since June 2008 and the main customer for this train is Asda and the improved efficiency for the service is further enhanced by ARR Craib and W H Malcolm joining forces with Asda by adding additional containers onto the service.

In running this service, DRS has contributed to a savings of almost 3000 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year and this equates to removing 7200 lorry journeys off the congested roads.

The award has been given to DRS based on Asda’s six performance monitoring criteria. These are for overall excellence in staff development, service deliveries, compliance with industry standards, maintaining loading efficiencies, utilisation of our Class 66 ‘environmentally friendly’ locomotive and improve fuel efficiency through driver driving technique.

Direct Rail Services Managing Director Neil McNicholas said “ We are delighted to win this award and a successful rail business is about building strong relationship with our industry partners as well as delivering premium services that meets the needs of the customers. This means providing high quality and reliable services to fulfil the expectations that the industry demands.’