Toshiba is supplying 50 battery-diesel HDB 800s to DB Cargo under a technology partnership agreed in 2017, which also includes the modernisation of existing locomotives through a sale-and-lease-back arrangement. DB Cargo will also lease a further 50 HDB 800s from Railpool. The four-axle single-cab locomotives for DB Cargo and Railpool will be equipped with two 471kW MAN EU Stage IIIB diesel engines, providing a nominal output of 750kW at the wheel, together with two 61.8kW Toshiba SCiB lithium titanate oxide (LTO) traction batteries. The HDB 800 is also equipped with permanent magnet synchronous motors. Battery power The 100km/h locomotives will operate using battery power for duty cycles below 200kW, a single diesel engine for operation in the 200-600kW range, and two diesel engines for high-output cycles. Toshiba Railway Europe managing director Mr Manfred Seibert told IRJ that the technical specification has been completed and the project is now at the detailed design stage. Manufacturing of locomotives is due to begin in spring 2020 and the first locomotives will be delivered to DB Cargo in 2021. Seibert says DB’s own workshops could assemble some of the production locomotives.
