JNA/ MMA 'Ealnos' bogie box Profile and Models

81 70 5500 399-7 at Peak Forest in April 2017. ©Dan Adkins

Built by Astra Rail and introduced in 2016, there are now well over 500 'Ealnos' box wagons on the network. Those in use with DB are coded MMA under TOPS; the remainder are coded JNA. In UIC nomenclature all are referred to as ‘Ealnos’. The wagons have a number of differences – 9- and 11-rib variants; with and without bodyside access doors. The wagons operated by VTG have different brake equipment. Some are dedicated for Mendip Rail traffic and carry a branded or unbranded silver livery; others are available for spot hire and in a dark blue. Others are in service with Ermewa/Tarmac and feature further variations of bodystyle and braking. Earlier in 2020, several more batches of Ealnos arrived in the UK and entered service with VTG, Cappagh and Touax. The Touax wagons, in their eye-catching dark red livery, have 11 bodyside ribs with no door and combine the longer air tank of the VTG versions with the body-mounted parking brakes of the DB MMAs. The wagons have spread across England and into parts of Wales as their open, rugged construction allows for easy unloading using a mechanical grab in locations where a dedicated terminal for hoppers with underfloor discharge gear would be uneconomic.

(Information provided via Revolution Trains)

Type of Vehicle	Bogie Box Wagon
Builder	Astra Rail, Romania
Build Dates	2016 to 2020
Total Built	Over 500
Wheel Configuration	2 x Bogies
Operated By	Cappagh Rail DB Cargo UK Direct Rail Services Ermewa/ Tarmac GB Railfreight Mendip Rail Touax VTG
Main Duties	Aggregates Transport
In Service Until	Present
Surviving Examples	All in service