Early operations The origins of Direct Rail Services (DRS) can be traced back to the
privatisation of British Rail during the 1990s;
British Nuclear Fuels Ltd (BNFL) had a long-standing arrangement with
British Rail for the latter to undertake the haulage of
nuclear flask traffic, but the pending dissolution of British Rail led to BNFL considering other options. In October 1994, it was announced that BNFL had decided to perform rail transport and other railway-related services internally. During 1997, DRS began to diversify into the haulage of other traffic, having secured a contract to operate milk traffic from
Penrith to
Cricklewood. In 2002, it commenced running
intermodal freight trains from
Grangemouth to the
Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal using
Class 66/4 locomotives; it carries containers for both the
Malcolm Group and
Asda. In May 2020, DRS announced it had launched a new electrified freight route between the Daventry Freight Terminal and Mossend Yard, outside
Glasgow. The ownership of DRS was transferred from BNFL to the
Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), following the creation of the NDA on 1 April 2005 under the terms of the
Energy Act 2004. Since April 2021, DRS, as well as its sibling NDA subsidiaries Pacific Nuclear Transport Limited (PNTL) and
International Nuclear Services (INS), have been operated by a newly created NDA division,
Nuclear Transport Solutions (NTS). In January 2022, DRS and Tesco signed a three-year extension deal; by this point, the company was transporting roughly 12,000 containers for Tesco per month. As of 2021, DRS has stated its intention to grow its presence in the rail freight sector, particular in
Scotland.
Passenger services In 2007, seven
Mark 3 carriages from
Virgin Trains were refurbished at the
Oxley depot. The following year saw the coaches used to operate
charter services under the
Stobart Rail banner, however, the Stobart Rail operation ceased in July 2008. In June 2009, DRS commenced operating
rescue locomotive duties on the
Great Eastern Main Line for the train operator
National Express East Anglia, as well as hauling
Class 90 electric locomotives from to 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. During 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. passenger stock at on the Cumbrian Coast Line. Between 30 November 2009 and 28 May 2010, DRS ran a service on the
Cumbrian Coast Line between and 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. During April 2011, DRS commenced a five-year contract under which it provided
Class 47 locomotives to haul the
Northern Belle, a luxury passenger train. By 2013, the company was operating 140 passenger charters annually, roughly 100 of which were for the Northern Belle. By April 2018, the train was being hauled by
Class 57s operated by
West Coast Railways, the owner of the Northern Belle, instead. 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 and . 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 68s, 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 68s 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. In June 2014, it was announced that
Chiltern Railways had signed a contract with DRS for the latter to provide six of its
Class 68 locomotives to haul express passenger services, replacing
Class 67s hired from DBS. On 15 December 2014, the first of DRS-hauled Chiltern service departed
Marylebone station; Chiltern noted that the Class 68s will be capable of hauling extended trains in the future. In addition to the locomotives themselves, DRS provided commissioning and maintenance services. ==Depots==