Porterbrook

Porterbrook is a British rolling stock company (ROSCO) established in April 1994 as part of the privatisation of British Rail. Together with Angel Trains and Eversholt Rail Group, it is one of the three original ROSCOs.

For the river in Sheffield, see Porter Brook.

Porterbrook
PredecessorBritish Rail
FoundedApril 1994
Headquarters
Derby
,
England, UK
Area served
United Kingdom
ProductsRolling stock leasing
ParentAIMCo
Allianz Capital Partners
EDF Invest
Vantage Infrastructure
Websitewww.porterbrook.co.uk

History
47817 in early Porterbrook livery

Porterbrook was established in April 1994 as a subsidiary of British Rail in preparation for the privatisation of British Rail.[1] It was named after the Porter Brook, a river that passed by British Rail's Sheffield offices (Specifically Sheaf House, adjacent to Sheffield railway station, which was demolished in late 2005 as part of a city centre regeneration project).[2] In November 1995 it was sold to in a management buyout.[3][4]

In 1996 Porterbrook entered the freight leasing market when it purchased and leased back 70 locomotives and 699 wagons from Freightliner.[5] On 28 August 1996, the company was purchased by Stagecoach, who in turn sold it to Abbey National on 20 April 2000.[6][7]

Porterbrook set up a European subsidiary which was sold in December 2004 to CB Rail.[8][9] In 2008, the business was purchased by a consortium of Antin Infrastructure Partners, Deutsche Bank and Lloyds TSB.[10][11]

In 2020, Porterbrook signed a 15 year lease with St Modwen to take over the Quinton Rail Technology Centre at Long Marston.[12][13]

Porterbrook liveried locomotives
87002 in later Porterbrook livery

Porterbrook has painted some locomotives in its purple house colours. Deltic D9016 was repainted in 1999 after Porterbrook sponsored its return to service.[14] Class 47s 47807 and 47817 operated for Virgin CrossCountry in the late 1990s in Porterbrook livery as did 57601 for First Great Western from 2001, and 87002 for Virgin Trains West Coast from 2003.[15][16]

Initial fleet

The fleet Porterbrook inherited from British Rail in 1994 comprised:[1]

Class Total
43 81
47 32
73 14
87 35
90 15
141 38
143 36
144 46
150 128
153 40
156 76
158 211
159 66
205 30
207 10
323 117
319 344
411 424
412 28
422 92
423 188
455 364
456 48
Mark 3 coaches 649
Driving Van Trailer 52

References
  1. 25 Years of ROSCOs Rail Express issue 281 October 2019 pages 18/19
  2. Why Angel Trains? Today's Railways UK issue 113 May 2005 page 25
  3. ROSCOs sold for £1,699.5m Rail Privatisation News issue 18 16 November 1995 page 16
  4. BR's passenger trains fleet sold-off for £1.8 billion Rail issue 266 22 November 1995 page 6
  5. Freightliner 95 sold - and Porterbrook enters freight market by buying 70 locomotives and 699 wagons The Railway Magazine issue 1143 July 1996 page 14
  6. Stagecoach to buy Porterbrook for £475m The Railway Magazine issue 1145 September 1996 page 7
  7. £1.44 billion Porterbrook Sale Today's Railway UK issue 54 June 2000 page 11
  8. Porterbrook sells European arm to CB Rail Rail issue 502 8 December 2004 page 9
  9. Porterbrook sells EU fleet to CB Rail Today's Railways UK issue 109 January 2005 page 9
  10. Porterbrook Leasing sale agreed Railway Gazette International 28 October 2008
  11. Abbey sells Porterbrook as HSBC launches review Rail issue 604 5 November 2008 page 10
  12. Porterbrook signs 15-year lease to take over QRTC site at Long Marston Rail issue 898 12 February 2020 page 20
  13. Long Marston Takeover Rail Express issue 286 March 2020 page 10
  14. Porterbrook's Deltic 9016 finally returns to traffic Rail issue 433 17 April 2002 page 59
  15. Porterbrook's Purple Monster goes into passenger service The Railway Magazine issue 1204 August 2001 page 89
  16. Special liveries for 87001 and 87002 Entrain issue 19 July 2003 page 42

Media related to Trains in Porterbrook livery at Wikimedia Commons

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