Class 66 contract underlines strong year for EMDL

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Leading UK rail engineering and technology company EMDL is celebrating after signing a 10-year contract with GB Railfreight earlier in the year to maintain its fleet of Class 66 locomotives – the company’s first full-maintenance contract.

The company, which has an annual turnover of nearly £50 million and employs 140 staff, exclusively provides all post delivery services, including commissioning, locomotive modification and maintenance of EMD locomotives in Europe, Scandinavia and parts of the Middle East.

EMDL, a subsidiary of Chicago-based locomotive manufacturer Electro-Motive Diesel, is poised to increase business as rail freight volumes continue to rise. Even during the recession rail freight increased by two per cent. Intermodal rail freight is healthier still with volumes rising 29 per cent between 2006 and 2011.

Rail freight carries around 10 per cent of all surface transport in Britain and rail freight trains account for around 10 per cent of all trains operating on the national rail network.

New warehouse facility

Worldwide parent company EMD, which was acquired in 2010 by Progress Rail Services, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Caterpillar, has sold its products in more than 73 countries.

Anticipating further growth in the market, EMDL is continuing its multi-million pound investment programme with a brand new maintenance and warehouse facility, and a specially-commissioned 30 tonne wheel lathe at the company’s Doncaster base.

The new warehouse, on Carcroft Industrial Estate, will act as the main hub for all inventory relating to Class 66 maintenance.

Going from strength to strength

Amanda Sawford, EMDL’s new chief operating officer, said: “EMDL is one of the UK’s great success stories. We combine the best traditional engineering and manufacturing skills with cutting edge technological know-how. As a company, we have a fantastic team of people and great ambition for the future, as you can see from our continued investment in skills and infrastructure.

“It’s a pleasure to be able to help contribute to the future success of a company that continues to go from strength to strength in such a rewarding and challenging industry.”

Exciting recruitment opportunities

EMDL is currently recruiting for a number of engineering positions in Staffordshire and Cambridgeshire, which will be created in January 2013. These include an entry level operative position, a heavy maintenance team leader role and a mechanical fitter vacancy.

Managing director Duncan Scott said: “Our staff are our most valuable asset and we continue to invest heavily in skills and training for our great team of people. Our number one goal being to ensure their safety at work.

“As part of the Caterpillar group we provide a great career path for everyone with ability and ambition, and as part of a global company, there are real employment opportunities for our staff all over the world.”

Apprentice programme

In August last year, EMDL began a three-year apprentice programme in partnership with Newcastle-Under-Lyme College. The four new recruits are currently splitting their time between the college and EMDL’s Longport facility where they are getting hands-on experience within the depot’s various departments, which include power assembly overhaul, components and engine overhauls, and fabrication. The aim is to offer the apprentices full-time contracts at the end of the programme.

Duncan Scott himself began working at EMD in 1975 as an apprentice engineer and then a field service engineer before moving into sales and eventually management.

“The technical skill and knowledge that I gained through hands-on engineering allowed me to take that career path into supervisory and then into management and up to director level and the company is very proud of that,” said Scott.

For the full list of employment opportunities with EMDL click here

Advertised roles include: Supervisor, Heavy Maintenance Team Leader, Locomotive Service Technician, Locomotive Technician, Mechanical Fitter and Operative.

1 COMMENT

  1. It is good to read that EMD are investing here in the UK and providing employment for skilled British engineers. However, it is sad that there are no longer any British companies building and maintaining diesel locomotives, the last two – Brush and Hunslet – recently becoming part of of another American company Wabtech.

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