A fire at an interconnector with the French electricity grid coupled with high gas prices due to constrained supplies and strong demand driven by the economies recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic has led to record energy prices across Europe, including the UK.
The Rail Freight Group (RFG), which represents the sector, said that the high wholesale cost of electricity for haulage means that some operators have had to take “the regrettable decision” to temporarily move back to diesel locomotives.
It added that electrified trains are currently facing 200 per cent increases in their running costs, which is too large of a burden for operators to bare, so the switch back to diesel has been made to ensure that services can continue running at normal frequency.
“Our members are assuring us that this is a temporary measure and will be kept under constant review,” the RFG said.
A spokesman for freight operator Direct Rail Services said: “Our fleet of locomotives...