View source for Rail Express Systems

{{Short description|Sector of British Rail}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2017}}
{{Infobox company
| name             = Rail Express Systems
| logo             = Rail Express Systems logo.svg
| image            = 90016 at London Liverpool Street.JPG
| image_size       = 
| image_caption    = Rail Express Systems livery as carried by [[British Rail Class 90|90016]] at [[Liverpool Street railway station|London Liverpool Street]] in March 2004
| type             = State owned
| traded_as        = 
| genre            = <!-- Only used with media and publishing companies -->
| fate             = Integrated into [[English, Welsh & Scottish|English Welsh & Scottish]] (EWS)
| predecessor      = ''Parcels'' sector
| successor        = [[DB Cargo UK|English, Welsh & Scottish]]
| foundation       = 1982
| founder          = 
| defunct          = 1996
| location_city    = 
| location_country = 
| location         = 
| locations        = 
| area_served      = [[United Kingdom]]
| key_people       = 
| industry         = Package & mail transport
| products         = 
| services         = [[Mail]] & [[package delivery]], [[Excursion train#United Kingdom|charter trains]]
| revenue          = 
| operating_income = 
| net_income       = 
| aum              = <!-- Only used with financial services companies -->
| assets           = 
| equity           = 
| owner            = 
| num_employees    = 
| parent           = [[British Rail]]
| divisions        = 
| subsid           = }}

'''Rail Express Systems''' (RES) was a sector of [[British Rail]]. This sector was responsible for transport of mail and parcels, including the [[travelling post office]] trains, as well as taking over charter operations from [[InterCity (British Rail)|InterCity]] and haulage of the [[British Royal Train|Royal Train]].

RES had been created out of a policy of [[History of rail transport in Great Britain 1948%E2%80%931994#The 1980s: Sectorisation|Sectorisation]], its functions previously being undertaken as an integral element of British Rail in the 1980s. Initially known simply as the ''Parcels Sector'', it was decided to re-brand it as ''Rail Express Systems'' during late 1991. The entity's management team sought to improve the economics of its operations and to better satisfy its customer's needs, the principal one being the [[Royal Mail]]. Thus, various initiatives were undertaken, including the procurement of new rolling stock in the form of 16 four-car [[British Rail Class 325]], a series of [[electric multiple unit]]s built exclusively for moving mail.

During the mid-1990s, RES implemented a £150 million strategy that focused on long-distance services that worked in conjunction with a central hub based in London at its heart, known as ''Railnet''. As a consequence, many stations had their mail services permanently withdrawn as they were redirected to a series of hubs across the country; the final mail train services departed King's Cross, Euston, Liverpool Street and Paddington stations on 27 September 1996. As a result of the [[privatisation of British Rail]] during the mid-1990s, RES was put up for sale to the private sector. Following a competitive bidding process, the entity was purchased entirely by the recently created railway freight operator [[English, Welsh & Scottish|English Welsh & Scottish]] (EWS); shortly thereafter, RES was integrated into the firm and ceased to exist as an independent operation. A few years later, railway-based mail operations ended entirely in Britain due to the increasingly poor economics involved.

==History==
[[File:NAA 94335 at Plymouth.JPG|thumb|Rail Express Systems livery as carried by [[Propelling Control Vehicle]] no. 94335 stabled at [[Plymouth railway station|Plymouth]] on 29 August 2003]]

During the 1980s, [[British Rail]]'s senior management endeavoured to rejuvenate numerous aspects of its operations and to better fulfil customer demands.<ref name = "railmag"/> Under the policy of [[History_of_rail_transport_in_Great_Britain_1948%E2%80%931994#The_1980s:_Sectorisation|Sectorisation]], BR's entire rail-based mail operations were consolidated into their own business unit, Rail Express Systems (RES). This reorganisation under its own management team led to a new focus of its operations on the specific needs of its primary customer, the [[Royal Mail]] (RM).<ref name = "railmag"/>

During October 1991, RES was officially launched at [[Crewe Diesel TMD]].<ref>{{cite web |url = http://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/17th-october-1991/12/new-br-division-hopes-for-whole-train-loads |title = New BR division hopes for whole train loads |publisher = [[Commercial Motor]] |date = 17 October 1991}}</ref> For this event, examples of [[British Rail Class 08|Class 08]], [[British Rail Class 47|47]], [[British Rail Class 86|86]] and [[British Rail Class 90|90]] locomotives were painted into a new livery of red, with a grey upper band, and light blue and grey flashes. The light blue and grey flashes represent a set of stylised eagle's wings.<ref>{{cite magazine |title = Launched with a burning resolve |magazine=[[The Railway Magazine]] |issue = 1088 |date = December 1991 |page = 902}}</ref>

The sector had maintenance depots at Crewe, [[Bristol Barton Hill TMD|Bristol Barton Hill]], [[Coldham Lane Depot|Cambridge]] and [[Euston Downside Carriage Maintenance Depot|Euston Downside]]. Rolling stock was also maintained by other sectors at [[Heaton TMD|Heaton]] and [[Edge Hill Intercity Depot|Liverpool Edge Hill]]. Amongst the more unusual duties that fell under RES' umbrella, was its responsibility for the haulage of the [[British Royal Train|Royal Train]] whenever required.<ref>{{cite magazine |title = Princes charming |magazine=[[Rail Magazine]] |issue = 253 |date = 24 May 1995 |page = 4}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title = Class 47s emerge as Royal Princes |magazine=[[The Railway Magazine]] |issue=1131 |date = July 1995 |page = 7}}</ref>

Seeking to rejuvenate rail mail, RES devised a £150 million strategy that focused on long-distance services that worked in conjunction with a central hub based in London at its heart, known as ''Railnet''.<ref name = "railmag"/> During late 1993, RES and RM had signed a 13-year deal with RES to operate the trains from this new hub, also referred to as the ''London Distribution Centre'' or the ''Princess Royal Distribution Centre'', at [[Stonebridge Park, London|Stonebridge Park]], near [[Wembley]]. Furthermore, RM commissioned [[ABB]] to manufacture 16 four-car [[British Rail Class 325]] electric multiple units, which were designed exclusively for the transport of mail.<ref name = "railmag">{{cite magazine |url = https://www.railmagazine.com/operations/franchises/mail-by-rail-still |title = Mail by rail - still |magazine=[[Rail Magazine]]|first = Stefanie |last = Foster |date = 5 February 2014}}</ref>

During RES's existence, there were numerous operational changes made in the use of Britain's railways in regards to the delivery of both mail and parcels. Throughout the 1990s, many smaller services were cut back, and mail services were removed from most passenger stations. Following the opening of the new London hub on 30 September 1996, British rail mail operations were drastically restructured, only dedicated mail trains were operated after this date and thus were no longer based at any main line stations, as it had been decided to centrally base all London mail trains at the hub instead. Accordingly, the final mail train services departed King's Cross, Euston, Liverpool Street and Paddington stations on 27 September 1996.<ref name = "railmag"/> In place of passenger stations, these services were directly to a number of mail hubs at strategic locations; these were: Shieldmuir ([[Motherwell]]), Low Fell ([[Gateshead]]), [[Warrington]], [[Doncaster]], [[Bristol Parkway railway station|Bristol Parkway]], [[Tonbridge]] and Wembley PRDC (London) as well as dedicated platforms at [[Stafford railway station|Stafford]].{{CN|date=January 2021}}

The restructuring of services, intended to enable the faster delivery of mail to distant destinations, necessitated the streamlining of both mail pick-ups and drop-offs, a policy which resulted in many intermediate locations seeing the permanently withdrawn of coverage by RES services.<ref name = "railmag"/> Instead, mail was to be transported by road to the 45 stations that would be served by the remaining mail trains. Despite this, the increasing efficiency of mechanical sorting in comparison to the hand sorting methods used onboard RES' fleet of [[travelling post office]]s (TPOs) meant that the latter was becoming increasingly uneconomic regardless of the structural changes being made.<ref name = "railmag"/>

[[File:NSA 80390 'Ernie Gosling' at Doncaster Works.JPG|thumb|[[British Rail]] [[Post Office sorting van|TPO vehicle]] NSA 80390 on display at [[Doncaster|Doncaster Works]] open day on 27 July 2003. This type of vehicle, based on the [[British Rail Mark 1]] coach, was the final design of TPO vehicle used in the [[United Kingdom]].]]

As part of the [[privatisation of British Rail]], RES was the first freight company put up for sale, with bids lodged by [[Freightliner Group|Freightliner]], a [[management buyout]], [[Serco]] and a [[Wisconsin Central Limited|Wisconsin Central]] led a consortium known as North and South railways.<ref>{{cite magazine |title = Wisconsin bid favourite for Res |magazine=[[Rail Magazine]]|issue = 267 |date = 6 December 1995 |page = 7}}</ref> The latter's bid was successful, the sale taking effect on 9 December 1995 with 164 locomotives and 677 wagons included.<ref>{{cite magazine |title = RES sold to North & South Railways |magazine=[[Rail Business Intelligence|Rail Privatisation News]] |issue = 20 |date = 14 December 1995 |page = 1}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title = Confirmed - Wisconsin Central buys Rail express systems |magazine=[[Rail Magazine]] |issue = 268 |date = 20 December 1995 |page = 9}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title = Royal Mail and Royal Train operator is sold to American railroad |magazine=[[The Railway Magazine]]|issue = 1138 |date = February 1996 |page = 6}}</ref> In 1996, the business was integrated into [[English, Welsh & Scottish|English Welsh & Scottish]] (EWS), ceasing to exist as a separate entity.<ref>{{cite magazine |title = Wisconsin unveils its new-look livery |magazine=[[Rail Magazine]]|issue = 268 |date = 8 May 1996 |page = 7}}</ref>

Rail-based mail traffic continued to decline following the integration. A further factor that negatively impacted such operations was the [[Hatfield rail crash]] during October 2000, which led to numerous restrictions being imposed upon TPOs, including new speed limitations and numerous cancellations across many routes.<ref name = "railmag"/><ref>{{cite book |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=vCJniku2eJMC| title = Off the rails: Britain's great rail crisis : cause, consequences and cure| author = Andrew Murray| publisher = Verso|year = 2001 | isbn = 9781859846407| at = "Companies in trouble", pp. 124–129|via=Google Books}}</ref> There were also rising concerns over the safety of staff, as there was little consideration towards the crashworthiness or the wellbeing of the TPO's occupants in the event of a major accident.<ref name = "railmag"/> Furthermore, the Royal Mail had increasingly decided to make use of other means of transporting mail, including aircraft and road vehicles.<ref name = "railmag"/> Amid these various factors, during 2003, it was announced that Royal Mail had decided to suspend all transportation of mail by rail.<ref name="rm2003">[http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm200304/cmselect/cmtran/145/145web67.htm Written statement by Royal Mail] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629165847/http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm200304/cmselect/cmtran/145/145web67.htm |date=29 June 2011 }} (Document FOR 105), House of Commons [[Transport Select Committee]], September 2003.</ref>

==Mid 1990s routes==
{| cellpadding="2"
|valign="top"|
;Travelling post office routes
*London-Glasgow
*London-Carlisle
*London-Newcastle
*London-Dover
*London-Norwich
*Penzance-Bristol
*Plymouth-Newcastle
*Cardiff-Glasgow
|width=10|
|valign="top"|
;Other mail trains
*London-Bristol
*London-Glasgow
*London-Newcastle
*London-Norwich
*London-Plymouth
*London-Swansea
*Plymouth-Glasgow
*Plymouth-Newcastle
*York-Shrewsbury (ECS worked from Newcastle and reversed into p1 at York)
|}

==Parcels Sector rolling stock==
The late 1980s and early 1990s saw many changes to the Rail Express Systems fleet, with the cessation of the usage of [[British Rail Class 105|Class 105s]] by 1987, [[British Rail Class 114|Class 114s]] by 1990, [[British Rail Class 120|Class 120s]] by 1987, [[British Rail Class 127|Class 127s]] by 1989, [[British Rail Class 128|Class 128s]] by 1990, [[British Rail Class 302|Class 302s]] by 1996 and [[British Rail Class 303|Class 308s]] by 1989.

In the same period, [[British Rail Class 325|Class 325 EMUs]] were introduced and the entire parcels and mails fleet (except the travelling post office stock) was refurbished or withdrawn.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Class !! Image !! Number !! Power 
|-
|| [[British Rail Class 08|Class 08]] || [[File:08888 Postman's Pride.jpg|120px]] || || Diesel Shunter 
|-
|| [[British Rail Class 31|Class 31]] || [[File:31284 at Saltley on 25th April 1987.jpg|120px]] || || rowspan="2" | Diesel Locomotive
|-
|| [[British Rail Class 47|Class 47]] || [[File:BR 47 774.jpg|120px]] || 
|-
|| [[British Rail Class 86|Class 86]] || [[File:86 241 Glenfiddich.jpg|120px]] || || rowspan="2" | AC Electric Locomotive
|-
|| [[British Rail Class 90|Class 90]] || [[File:90016 at London Liverpool Street.JPG|120px]] || 5 
|-
|| [[British Rail Class 105|Class 105]] || [[File:BR Class 105 E51282 and E56461 Longsight.jpg|120px]] || 9 || rowspan="5" | DMU
|-
|| [[British Rail Class 114|Class 114]] || [[File:DMU (8957948645).jpg|120px]] || 10 
|-
|| [[British Rail Class 120|Class 120]] || [[File:British Rail Class 120.jpg|120px]] || 10 
|-
|| [[British Rail Class 127|Class 127]] || [[File:Class_127_in_St_Pancras_23725759024.jpg|120px]] || 23 
|-
|| [[British Rail Class 128|Class 128]] || [[File:M55991.jpg|120px]] || 5 
|-
|| [[British Rail Class 302|Class 302]] || [[File:302-Royal-Mail-Red-&-Snowtrain-Ilford-Depot-Open-Day-May-1989.jpg|120px]] || 6 || rowspan="3" | EMU
|-
|| [[British Rail Class 308|Class 308]] || [[File:British Rail Class 308 at Leeds 1996.jpg|120px]] || 3 
|-
|| [[British Rail Class 325|Class 325]] || [[File:Hugh llewelyn 325 002 (6520031505).jpg|120px]] || 16 
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Coach Type !! Image !! Number !! Notes 
|-
|| [[Propelling control vehicle|NAA - Propelling control vehicle]] || [[File:NAA 94335 at Plymouth.JPG|120px]] || 24 ||
|-
|| NBA - Brake Gangwayed (High-security) || [[File:NBA high security brake.jpg|120px]] || ||
|-
|| NDX - Brake Gangwayed (90 mph) || || ||
|-
|| NEX - Brake Gangwayed (100 mph) || || ||
|-
|| NHA - Brake Gangwayed (110 mph) || || ||
|-
|| NIA - Brake Gangwayed (high-security) (110 mph) || || ||
|-
|| [[General utility van|NJX - General utility van (90 mph)]] || [[File:BR Mk1 GUV.jpg|120px]] || ||
|-
|| NKA - General utility van (High-security) (100 mph) || || ||
|-
|| NLX - Newspaper van || || ||
|-
|| NNX - Courier vehicle || || ||
|-
|| NPX - General utility van (TPO use) || || ||
|-
|| NOA - General utility van (100 mph) ||   [[ File:NOA 95758 at Cheltenham Spa.JPG|120px]] || ||
|-
|| NRA - Container van || || ||
|-
|| [[Post Office sorting van|NSA - Post Office sorting van]] || [[File:NSA 80390 'Ernie Gosling' at Doncaster Works.JPG|120px]] || 10+ || 
|-
|| [[Post Office stowage van|NTA - Post Office stowage van]] || [[File:DSCN2377-mail-coach crop b.jpg|120px]] || ||
|-
|| [[Brake Post Office stowage van|NUA - Brake Post Office stowage van]] || || ||
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==General references==
* Rail Magazine Issue 159
* Motive Power Pocket books pub. Platform 5
* British Multiple Units Volume 1 and Volume 3

{{British Rail}}
{{British freight operators}}

[[Category:British Rail brands]]
[[Category:British Rail freight services]]
[[Category:DB Cargo UK]]
[[Category:Rail freight companies in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Railway companies established in 1982]]
[[Category:Railway companies disestablished in 1996]]
[[Category:1982 establishments in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:1996 disestablishments in the United Kingdom]]