THE imminent arrival of the first tri-mode Class 93s for Rail Operations Group (ROG) is another significant moment in the recent history of the business, which has grown considerably in less than a decade.
It’s too easy to think of ROG as an operator using heritage traction to deliver new trains from their manufacturers to their new operators, or taking redundant rolling stock either for storage or in its final trip to the breaker’s yard. There is so much more to the business.
The company was formed in 2014, around the time that the first Crossrail Class 345 electric multiple units were to be moved for testing and commissioning. Previously, a locomotive and several vehicles would arrive at a facility and spend several hours shunting and marshalling a train before departing. This was akin to a lengthy freight train arriving at a usually congested depot and having to utilise what little space there was, often after a lengthy shunting process had already been undertaken, and an even lengthier ‘freight’ train would then leave the site. Depending on the condition of the brakes on the train being moved, it could be limited to 45mph. This meant often lengthy journeys. There had to be another way.
Mr Karl Watts founded ROG, which is now one of three companies under the Rail Operations (UK) Limited (ROUK) umbrella. A career railwayman, Karl saw the opportunity available for an innovative company to offer something different to an industry that was about to go through significant change. A variety of new fleets were on order at the time, or were expected to be ordered, with many of
