DB Cargo UK is set to strengthen its position in the Drax Power Station biomass supply chain. The operator is set to take over several freight paths currently operated by rival operator GB Railfreight. According to industry sources, the move will be implemented in early 2027.
The change is expected to revolve around the existing Liverpool–Drax flow. However, the precise number of services transferring between the two operators, or any new flows, has not been publicly confirmed. The development comes as Drax’s biomass generation arrangements change from April 2027. The move appears to represent a redistribution of rail traffic, but an overall expansion in the amount of biomass being moved.
Ferried from the Mersey
Peel Ports Liverpool has become an important part of Drax’s supply chain. Peel Ports says it currently handles up to two biomass trains a day, moving west-east to the North Yorkshire power station. Large shipments from North America are commonplace. For example, Drax confirmed in April that more than 29,000 tonnes of pellets had arrived at Liverpool aboard the Ultra Yorkshire for onward rail transportation.
Peel has invested £100 million (about €117 million) in the dedicated Gladstone Dock biomass terminal at Liverpool. The facility provides unloading, storage and rail-loading facilities for imported wood pellets before their movement by rail to Drax. The voyage of the Ultra Yorkshire, in our example, originated in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Learning from history
The Liverpool flow is not new. Rail freight operators have been carrying biomass between Liverpool and Drax for more than a decade. GB Railfreight became an established operator of the traffic. The flow represents a significant bulk cargo collaboration between rail and marine interests.
Current and early 2027 timetable data continue to show GBRf operating several Liverpool–Drax services, including five individually identified trains (6E09, 6E10, 6E24, 6E34 and 6E36). This indicates that any transfer to DB Cargo is likely to take place during the 2027 railway year. Drax also says it has agreements covering both GB Railfreight and DB Cargo trains.
DB Cargo UK expands biomass footprint
DB Cargo already operates a substantial Drax operation, particularly from Immingham on the East Coast. Its existing contract was renewed in 2025 with the stated intention of expanding services further. The operator now says direct biomass rail flows operate from Immingham, Hull, Tyne (Newcastle) and Liverpool to power stations complex. The news comes despite the recent revelation that DB Cargo UK has been put up for sale by its German parent.
The rail freight company’s current information says more than 2,600 trains a year operate for Drax using renewable fuel. Trains can comprise up to 26 wagons, with specialist equipment designed to protect the biomass during transportation. Industry reports indicate that DB Cargo is expected to take over the Liverpool–Drax workings from GBRf around March or April 2027. The same sources suggest DB Cargo will retain its established Immingham–Drax traffic and continue occasional Hull–Drax workings, although the future of the Tyne–Drax flow is less clear.
The wagons behind the biomass operation
The development also highlights the rolling stock created specifically for Drax’s biomass supply chain. In 2013, Drax, Lloyd’s Register Rail and the independent British manufacturer WH Davies developed a high-capacity hopper wagon designed around the physical characteristics of wood pellets.
The resulting IIA-D wagons are 18.9 metres long, have a capacity of 116 cubic metres and can carry almost 72 tonnes of biomass. Their volume outperformed existing rolling stock by around 30%, allowing more biomass to be moved in each train. The wagons also incorporated roof covers, specifically because the pellets have to remain dry during transportation.
Further pathing developments
WH Davies has subsequently built 225 of the wagons for Drax. The company also played an earlier role in the development of biomass traffic by modifying existing wagons for GBRf, adding automated roof and discharge systems so the material could be protected and unloaded efficiently.
For DB Cargo, gaining additional Drax paths therefore represents a change in the allocation of an established rail supply chain rather than the creation of an entirely new one. With Drax’s generation pattern changing from 2027, the competition between operators is increasingly about securing a larger share of the remaining biomass traffic.