English: Freight line passing Ely Station. EMD Class 66/0 diesel locomotive in EWS livery, hauling freight past Ely station. EWS (English Welsh & Scottish Railway Ltd) is Britain's largest rail freight operator and part of the DB (Deutsche Bundesbahn/German Federal Railways) Schenker organisation. After the sale of the three ex-BR freight businesses (Loadhaul, Transrail and Mainline Freight) to the American Wisconsin Company, the latter formed a British operation called EWS. After EWS's purchase of BR's mail and parcels operation, Rail Express Systems and Railfreight Distribution, new locomotives were needed to meet the projected upturn in British freight traffic. An order for 250 machines, designated 'Class 66', was placed in 1997 and construction contracted to General Motor's loco production facility in London, Ontario (Canada). The first locomotive of this type, with the number 66001, was shipped to England via Immingham Docks in April 1998. The Class 66s, allocated to Toton but operating throughout the country, are painted in the standard EWS maroon and gold livery. The blue and white machine seen at right is DR 73943, a Plasser & Theurer 08-16/4x4C100-RT Tamper/Liner > 1604043 which is parked on a siding.