Services:
Rolling stock storage, component storage & facility provision
About us
Knights Rail Services Ltd is a privately owned company formed in 2001 primarily as a railway consultancy. Our aim was to provide a personalised but professional service to the rail industry, using our extensive experience gained in the Rail and Defence Industries.
One of our earliest projects saw a Joint Venture with Serco Operations to develop the UK's first bespoke train decontamination facility at the MOD site at Shoeburyness in Essex. This commenced operations in 2002 and is still the world leader in this type of process
Building on this early success we were key players with the award winning HSBC Carriage Roll Over Rig, producing the original design and project managing the construction and operation. Our Managing Director Bruce Knights was asked to jointly accept the Alstom Award for Innovation in Safety at the prestigious Railway Industry Innovations Awards in 2003, along with Nick Swift, the Development Engineer for HSBC Rail (UK).
In 2003 we were awarded a contract to develop a process for corrosion repairs and abatement for the Networker EMU fleet owned by HSBC Rail. This led to a full repair and re-livery programme undertaken between 2005 and 2007 at Stewarts Lane depot.
A significant milestone was reached in April 2005 when we purchased Serco's share of the train decontamination Joint Venture. This reinforced our growing status as a key supplier to the rail industry. We continued to develop our skills by in-sourcing the specialist asbestos removal work previously undertaken by contractors, culminating in the granting of our own Asbestos Removal Licence.
Eastleigh Works:
Having established and run the railway at MOD Shoeburyness back in the 1990s, we recognised the need for a combined storage and maintenance approach for modern rolling stock. This culminated in late 2006 in us taking over the tracks at the famous Eastleigh Works in late 2006, recently shut by Alstom.
During 2007 the operation at Eastleigh was expanded by our move into the former Works Building. This vast workshop had been equipped to build some of the largest British steam engines of the 20th Century including the famous Bullied Pacifics. Although much of the equipment had been sold by Alstom, within weeks the massive overhead cranes were operational and the electrified third rail system was energised, allowing electrics trains to enter the works once again. The site, once destined for demolition is now used by a variety of our customers to service, overhaul and maintain rail vehicles of all types. In September 2007 a press day was held to name two class 47 locomotives owned by Colas Rail. These had been rebuilt by Arlington Fleet Services, the first locos to be overhauled at the Works since the 1980s.
Over the past year Knights Rail Services has continued to expand and develop new services. In addition to our train decontamination and Eastleigh Works operations, we have recently started to undertake the removal of asbestos from lineside signalling equipment. This complex work presents additional hazards, with live signalling systems and 90mph train movements to contend with in addition to the more usual asbestos risks.
Locomotives:
In
order to services our operations at Eastleigh we needed our own shunting
locomotive. We were able to purchase the ex BR Ruston and Hornsby class
07 shunter no D2991 which had remained at the Works after closure.
This class of diesel was designed to operate the railway system at Southampton
Docks and was allocated to Eastleigh from new.
Despite being in a run down condition this loco has been used daily to
shunt within the Works. It is believed to be the longest serving British
Rail diesel still at its original location. It is currently undergoing
a long overdue engine overhaul but will re-enter traffic soon.
We were fortunate in 2007 to acquire four of the Ruston type LSSH diesel
hydraulics shunters from the MOD. These are variants of our class 07 shunter
and were built alongside them at Ruston and Hornsby's Lincoln Works in
the early 1960s. The LSSH design is very popular with operating staff,
being very powerful, reliable and easy to use, with excellent all round
vision for the driver.
The Army Rustons had been very well maintained during their MOD career and have been used to form the basis of our hire fleet. Following overhaul at Eastleigh Works three of these are now on hire with First GBRf hauling works trains on the East London Line refurbishment project.
