GB Railfreight renames Class 66 in honour of railway operators

A Class 66 has been renamed to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Chartered Institution of Railway Operators.

GB Railfreight 66728, initially named Institution of Railway Operators in 2008, had its name updated to reflect the organisation’s Royal Charter status (awarded in 2021) in a ceremony at London Waterloo on May 28.

The new nameplate, Chartered Institution of Railway Operators – Celebrating 25 Years was unveiled by Phil Sherratt and John Smith, the Chief Executives of CIRO and GBRf respectively.

Sherratt said: “We're really pleased to be marking that really important milestone on our journey.

“But it's also a milestone in which makes us look to the future because I've been here just over six months and I see a really great opportunity to help and support the industry by bringing forward a pipeline of people with the right skills and operations.

“It's great that we will have a tribute to us to the work and institution going around the network.”

Smith paid tribute to operators described the operation of trains, from driving, planning and timetabling as “an art”.

“The fact that the institute came into existence, the fact that it’s now been around for 25 years, and I think the most encouraging thing for me, the fact that it’s now developed (with Certificate, Diploma and Degree courses at Glasgow Caledonian University, and MBA at Keele University) into full qualifications in railway operations has been brilliant, and it’s shown how the institute has grown in the last 25 years.”