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.”