Great British Railways locomotives from USA to England on ACL’s Atlantic Sea

Atlantic Container Line (ACL), a Grimaldi Group company, is known for its unique ability to transport high-value railcars securely, intact and fully protected from the elements. In a recent demonstration of its specialized expertise, ACL moved four massive locomotives aboard the Atlantic Sea, one of its combination container/roll-on roll-off (con-ro) vessels, from Baltimore (Maryland) to Liverpool (England)—supporting the UK’s state-owned company Great British Railways with a seamless transatlantic delivery.

ACL provides a one-of-a-kind capability: transporting large, sensitive cargo fully intact—no disassembly needed. The locomotives, each weighing 80 tonnes and stretching over 20 metres in length, were delivered by rail from the Illinois Railway to the Port of Baltimore. There, they were carefully driven aboard ACL’s Atlantic Sea, via her 420-tonne-capacity stern ramp.

Each of the locomotives was securely lashed onto ACL’s specialized 80-foot roll trailers, purpose-built to carry up to 150 tons of heavy cargo. They remained protected from the elements throughout the transatlantic voyage in the vessel’s watertight garage decks—an essential feature for oversized sensitive and high-value cargo.

ACL’s con-ro vessels are the only ships of their kind in the world. They operate on a fixed weekly schedule across the North Atlantic, with calls in Baltimore, Portsmouth, New York, Halifax, Liverpool, Antwerp and Hamburg. Each one can transport 3,800 TEUs and 4,000 linear metres of wheeled, tracked, breakbulk project and oversized cargo. ACL is uniquely positioned to serve customers with complex cargo needs—from trains and aircraft to mining and construction equipment.