Furthermore, DRS has branched into passenger services, these have included charters, such as the Northern Belle, and contracts with operators such as National Express East Anglia, Chiltern Railways, and Arriva Rail North.

In 2005, DRS was transferred from BNFL to the newly created Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA).

In October 1994, it was announced that BNFL had decided to perform rail transport and other railway-related services internally.

[4][5] For this purpose, DRS was set up as a wholly-owned rail freight subsidiary of BNFL, initially using a small fleet of five Class 20/3 locomotives.

During 1998, DRS took over the movement of fuel rods from various nuclear power stations across Britain, such as Heysham, Valley (for Wylfa), Bridgwater (for Hinkley Point), Berkeley (for Oldbury), Hunterston, Torness, Seaton Carew, Dungeness and Sizewell.

[21] In June 2009, DRS commenced operating rescue locomotive duties on the Great Eastern Main Line for the train operator National Express East Anglia, as well as hauling Class 90 electric locomotives from Norwich to Great Yarmouth on summer Saturdays.

Between 30 November 2009 and 28 May 2010, DRS ran a service on the Cumbrian Coast Line between Maryport and Workington following a road bridge being destroyed by floods.

During April 2011, DRS commenced a five-year contract under which it provided Class 47 locomotives to haul the Northern Belle, a luxury passenger train.

[28] By April 2018, the train was being hauled by Class 57s operated by West Coast Railways, the owner of the Northern Belle, instead.

[29] On 9 January 2012, a trial service was introduced for six weeks by the NDA for its workers, with DRS supplying a Class 37 to haul four Mark 2 carriages between Carlisle and Sellafield.

To operate these services, DRS purchased a fleet of Mark 2 carriages and had these overhauled at Eastleigh Works.

[51][52] During 2008, DRS initiated efforts to acquire Class 57 locomotives; by 2013, it operated nine former Freightliner 57/0s as well as 12 former Virgin Trains 57/3s.

[58][59] In April 2015, two Class 68s commenced operating Fife Circle Line services for Abellio ScotRail.