NEW Zealand’s national railway KiwiRail has signed two contracts with Stadler for the supply of 33 locomotives.
The first contract is for nine DM 1067mm-gauge mainline locomotives for use on the North Island network. The diesel locomotives will be equipped with ETCS.
The contract also includes the equipping the final 10 DM locomotives from a €228m order for 57 units placed in 2021 with ETCS. This will take the total number of locomotives equipped with ETCS from this fleet that will be used on the North Island network to 19.
Under the second agreement, Stadler will supply 24 hybrid battery-diesel 1067mm-gauge shunting locomotives.
The Bo-Bo locomotives have an axleload of 16 tonnes and feature a central driver’s cab. They will be specially designed to operate within all of KiwiRail’s yards and sidings, with the onboard battery providing the majority of traction power. The locomotives will also be designed to be operated with a remote control system and, like the DM design, will be fitted with an automatic engine start-stop system.
The contract also includes the supply of spare parts, special tools and technical services. The locomotives will be manufactured at Stadler’s plant near Valencia, Spain.
KiwiRail chief customer and growth officer, Ms Adele Wilson, says the new Stadler locomotives are part of a $NZ 1.7bn ($US 1.05bn) investment in rolling stock that will enable KiwiRail to improve its service levels for customers and enhance freight shipper access to low-carbon transport. The new locomotives will also be used on several tourist routes.
“New mainline and shunting locomotives mean less maintenance time in the depots and more time on the track reliably serving our customers,” Wilson says. “We welcome the advantages in up-to-date technology our long-term relationship with Stadler brings, especially to our goal of decarbonisation.”
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