Locomotive upgrade

With the upgrade to ETCS Baseline 3 Release 2, the locomotives are continuously in contact with the tracks. In this way, the driver on duty can receive information about the permitted speed, for example, without being dependent on signals along the route.

According to Alpha Trains Group CEO Shaun Mills, the company is taking a new step in facilitating the modal shift from road to rail with the modernisation of its locomotives. The Bombardier Traxx 186 has been homologated for use in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Austria, while the Vossloh is suitable to use in the Netherlands and Germany.

Raw materials

The commercial operation of the loc started on 19 July, with the use of the 187 305. The use of this unit on the Serbia-Croatia line was approved on 20 May 2020. Transagent Rail transports mainly raw materials such as iron ore and coal as well as semi-finished products and intermodal units.

The first locomotives are scheduled for delivery in the second half of 2019. Torsten Lehnert, CEO of Railpool, said: “This latest order increases Railpool’s fleet of Traxx locomotives to 217. Our first Traxx locomotive was delivered in 2009 – since then we had very good experiences regarding performance, traction effort, efficiency and reliability with our Traxx fleet. Based on this experience, we want to operate these additional locomotives on the most important European freight corridors, connecting several main European harbors.”

Bombardier Traxx 3 platform

Mike Niebling, Director Sales, Locomotives, Bombardier Transportation, added: “We are pleased that we can continue the very successful collaboration with Railpool, one of our largest locomotive customers in the freight ecosystem. Railpool has contributed significantly to the development of our Traxx platform over the last decade. This strategic partnership helps Railpool to enter new markets, achieve a broader offering and a higher capacity – based on our mobility solutions.”

The Bombardier Traxx 3 platform is a four-axle locomotive platform in Europe. Its three models, Traxx AC3, Traxx MS3 and Traxx DC3 all offer optional Last Mile function, a support diesel engine which bridges non-electrified sections.

Large-scale order

Bombardier announced on Friday that it has also signed a large-scale contract for rolling stock with an undisclosed customer in Europe. The order is valued at approximately 437 million euro. The customer is yet to be disclosed.

The brand new locomotives will improve Akiem’s position on the European rolling stock leasing market. After the order fulfillment, the company’s fleet will increase to 180 units, suitable for both passenger and freight operations. “This additional batch of 33 Traxx locomotives meets our customers’ demand across Europe. With a fleet of 180 Traxx locomotives by 2020, we are strengthening our ability to deliver reliable, efficient, safe and cost-effective traction services expected by both passenger and freight operators”, said CEO of Akiem Group Fabien Rochefort.

Partnership Akiem – Bombardier

Akiem and Bombardier have established a strong partnership in 2011. The France-based leasing company has ordered 87 locomotives from that time till 2017. “We are very pleased to have received these additional locomotive orders from Akiem, further strengthening our partnership with this important customer,” noted head of Ecosystem Freight Corridors of Bombardier Transportation Peter Ammann.

Bombardier has developed the Traxx four-axle locomotive platform for 18 years. Its most modern version being used in Europe is the Bombardier Traxx 3 platform. The most popular locomotive based on this platform is the one-system unit, but crucial in Europe is the Traxx MS (multi-system) locomotive that allows operating on Europe’s four main rail supply voltages – 15 kV and 25 kV AC as well as 1.5 and 3 kV DC. “With over 2,200 units sold, the platform has demonstrated its success,” added Peter Ammann.

Bombardier has sold over 2,200 units of the Traxx locomotive, indicating the success of the product platform, pointed out Michael Fohrer, President of the CEC region and Head of Bombardier Transportation in Germany. “The Traxx MS3 locomotive is the only locomotive on the market with the last-mile function, letting it easily bridge non-electrified track sections often found in ports or freight terminals. It is a key advantage, enabling our customers to offer an alternative to road-based freight traffic throughout its entire journey.”

Market demand

At the official opening, Peter Amman, Head of Global Ecosystem Freight Corridors at Bombardier Transportation commented: “Our new Traxx 3 platform responds to the demands of the global freight market. With its energy efficiency, proven ability to pull higher loads than comparable locomotives, customised configuration, simplified interface with the European Train Control System (ETCS) and improved maintainability, this locomotive addresses our customers’ need for improved profitability, increased flexibility as well as for more reliable performance and availability during its whole lifecycle.”

For greater planning efficiency and most economical operation, the Traxx 3 platform has also been designed around the freight industry’s latest digital maintenance solutions. Intelligent platforms based on Conditional Based Maintenance, Big Data and IoT technology correlate data coming from the vehicle and the rail infrastructure to monitor the vehicle’s health in real-time, predicting maintenance interventions, while guaranteeing maximum fleet performance and availability.

Metrans, a branch of the port’s logistical and transportation arm HHLA (Hamburger Hafen und Logistik), currrently owns 50 mainline locomotives for use in its European network, supported by 17 shunters.

Strengthen

As well as having its own terminals in Europe, Metrans is also looking to strengthen its own traction fleet. With more Metrans locomotives pulling container trains across the continent, the acquisition of these new TRAXX locomotives will build on this strategy. Delivery will begin this year.

Capable of hauling Metrans trains weighing up to 2,200 tonnes, the locomotives are TRAXX F140MS models, class 186. ‘F’ denotes freight, ‘140’ the maximum speed and ‘MS’ is for multi-system. The locomotives, which have a 7,616 horsepower, have been built to handle the various tensioning and train control systems in place across Europe.

Flexible

Peter Kiss, Executive Board Member of the Metrans Group, said: “With more of our own locomotives at our disposal, we can do an even better job of managing the transport process. This will allow us to be more reliable, to be more flexible in response to the requests of our customers and to offer new services. Next year, we will be looking to accomplish this goal mainly in Poland, where Metrans is taking over from the HHLA subsidiary Polzug.”