DCRail Wins Golden Whistle Award and Grows Kilometres Operated by 29%

DCRail has continued to grow strongly in a challenging market, with kilometres operated in the 12 months to early April 2026 reaching 361,996 — a 29% increase on the previous year, against a general market reduction of 5%.

Operational performance has also improved significantly, with On Time Departures rising to 83.6% from 81.9% — above the industry average of 79.8%.  This continued improvement was recognised by the wider industry with a win at the prestigious Golden Whistle rail performance awards, where DCRail collected the Most Improved Small Freight Operator award at a ceremony in March.

DCRail has also made significant environmental progress, extending train lengths across several key routes to take full advantage of the haulage capability of Class 60 locomotives.  Increased train lengths already introduced will lead to annual savings of 313 tonnes of CO2 — equivalent to the emissions produced by 212 average cars in the UK.  Highlights include a 42% increase in train length on Holcim services and a 37% increase on Cemex services to Snetterton in Norfolk.

David Fletcher, Director Rail at Cappagh, said: "Increasing freight train lengths is a high-impact, low-carbon win for Britain's railway.  By moving more goods per path, longer trains cut emissions per tonne, remove HGVs from the road, ease congestion and improve air quality.  For customers, this delivers a greener, more efficient and more cost-competitive service — strengthening rail's position against road and accelerating the shift to sustainable logistics."