The Anonymous Widower

Inside A Class 99 – The UK’s Most Powerful Locomotive

The title of this post, is the same as the title of this YouTube video.

This locomotive and its siblings, which can run on both electrification and diesel is the future of rail freight in the UK and GB Railfreight have ordered thirty of them.

Hopefully, by the end of the year, I’ll see one of these locomotives running along the North London Line, through Highbury & Islington and Dalston Kingsland stations.

At the present time, there are 480 Class 66 diesel freight locomotives in the UK. A substantial amount of carbon emissions would be saved, if as many as possible of Class 66 locomotives as possible were replaced by Class 99 locomotives.

These Class 99 locomotives will literally turn the rail freight business upside down.

Can These Locomotives Be Converted from Diesel To Hydrogen Power?

Stadler or Cummins have not said, but Cummins are decarbonising the company.

Already, large American trucks fitted with the latest Cummins engines can be converted to hydrogen. I write about this in Cummins Debuts Integrated HELM Drivetrain At IAA.

Cummins are also supplying Wrightbus with engines for the next generation of low-emission bus, as I wrote about in Wrightbus StreetDeck Ultroliner Next-Gen To Get Cummins Power.

Did Stadler fit a Cummins diesel engine in a Class 99 locomotive, as they know that every Class 99 locomotive or similar locomotives for other markets can be converted to hydrogen?

It is strange but very heartening, that when we have an American President, who thinks that climate change is fake news, one of the United States, largest and most iconic companies is leading the charge to decarbonisation.

July 11, 2025 - Posted by AnonW | Design, Transport/Travel | Class 66 Locomotive, Class 99 Locomotive, Cummins, Dalston Kingsland Station, Decarbonisation, Donald Trump, Freight, GB Railfreight, Highbury And Islington Station, North London Line, Stadler, Video, Wrightbus