page_title: Direct Rail Services
section_title: Passenger services
hierarchical_section_title: Direct Rail Services / History / Passenger services
caption_attribution_description: English: A class 37 and a class 68 cross with MKII passenger stock at St Bees on the Cumbrian Coast line May 2018
context_page_description: Direct Rail Services is a rail freight company in Great Britain. It was created in 1994 by British Nuclear Fuels Ltd to take over British Rail's handling of nuclear material, and in 2005 transferred to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. It has since diversified into other freight operations and providing haulage for passenger services. DRS is one of four publicly owned railway companies in the United Kingdom, the others being NI Railways, LNER and Northern Trains.
context_section_description: In 2007, seven former Virgin Trains Mark 3 carriages were refurbished at Oxley depot. The following year saw the coaches used to operate charter services under the Stobart Rail banner but the Stobart Rail operation ceased in July 2008.
  In June 2009, DRS commenced operating rescue locomotive duties on the Great Eastern Main Line for National Express East Anglia as well as hauling Class 90 electric locomotives from Norwich to Great Yarmouth on summer Saturdays. This included Summer Saturday Wherry Lines services. DRS have periodically operated services on the Wherry Lines during periods of diesel multiple unit shortage. In October 2014, it commenced operating a two-year contract to operate services on the Wherry Lines under contract to Abellio Greater Anglia. It was operated by top and tailed Class 47s hauling Mark 2s, top and tail Class 37s were introduced in mid-2015.
  From 30 November 2009 until 28 May 2010, DRS ran a service on the Cumbrian Coast Line between Maryport and Workington following a road bridge being destroyed by floods. The trains were made up of Class 37s, Class 47s and Class 57s top and tailing DRS' Mark 3 carriages.
  DRS commenced a five-year contract in April 2011 which provided motive power for the Northern Belle.
  On 9 January 2012, a trial service was introduced for six weeks by the NDA for its workers, with DRS supplying a Class 37 to haul four Mark 2 carriages between Carlisle and Sellafield. Although the trial was reported to have been a success, plans to introduce regular services from December 2012 did not materialise until May 2015. To operate these services, DRS purchased a fleet of Mark 2 carriages and had these overhauled at Eastleigh Works. In May 2015, the company started to operate some services on the Cumbrian Coast Line under contract to Northern Rail (later Arriva Rail North) using top and tail Class 37s which hauled Mark 2 coaches. On 27 July 2015, one of the Class 37s was replaced by a DBSO, with the other replaced at a later date. On 29 January 2018, one set was made to be Top and Tail Class 68's, while the other stayed a Class 37 and DBSO. On 21 May 2018, there was only one set out, which was  the Top and Tail Class 68's only running between Carlisle and Barrow-in-Furness. This service was ultimately replaced by Class 156 Diesel Multiple Units (transferred from ScotRail) on 28 December 2018, with special commemorative 'farewell' service being run for charity on 11 January 2019.
caption: DRS Class 37 and Class 68 cross with Mark 2 passenger stock at St Bees on the Cumbrian Coast line.
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