Locomotive manufacturers: “We do not envisage new technologies for traction equipments”

Could 2011 be the year of technological innovation for locomotive traction equipments? What innovations could locomotive manufacturers include in their offer? These are the questions to which locomotive manufacturers are now trying to find answers.
“I don’t believe that we will see new developments”, says Janis Vitins, Director Marketing and Product Planning Locomotives – Bombardier Transportation (Canada), “we do not envisage new technologies”, Siemens (Germany) officials report.   However, there will surely be new projects that will be implemented this year.
“There will be innovation by combining electric, diesel or battery traction, therefore creating the optimum wear level for locomotives”, believes Janis Vitins. Meanwhile, in order to maintain the same balance related to this topic, Siemens officials say that the insulated gate bipolar transistor technology (IGBT) will continue to be the main choice.

Transport development requires new technologies

The attention given to technological innovation is all the more justified as statistics show that rail transport, and especially rail freight transport, will continue to develop in the following years, even on markets that haven’t benefited from massive investments, such as Eastern Europe. The data gathered by the International Transport Forum within the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) shows that the freight volume in the European Union dropped by 25% during the recession (seasonal adjustment per tonne-kilometre). Therefore, this sector is expected to grow in the following years.
“Central Eastern Europe has seen very limited investments. Currently, almost the entire rolling stock fleet is technically outdated”, says Janis Vitins from Bombardier Transportation.
Moreover, the year-on-year growth rate of the rolling stock market will be of around 6.7% by 2016, the highest growth rate compared to Western Europe, North America and Asia/Pacific. In this context, all those involved, locomotive manufacturers on the one hand and transport operators on the other hand, will try to provide/choose the best product in order to improve transport services. This was recently the case between French manufacturer Alstom and Russian manufacturer Transmashholding, who signed an agreement for the development of a new two-section freight locomotive for RZD. Another example would be German manufacturer Vossloh Locomotives, who delivered a diesel-hydraulic locomotive to Norwegian mining company Sydvaranger Gruve. This locomotive, series G1000BB, has an 8V 4000 R41L engine manufactured by German company MTU. This engine provides traction of 1,1 MW and can operate at extreme temperatures (between -25 and +35 degrees Celsius).
The speed bumpers, which can automatically reduce speed from 100 km/h (maximum speed) to 45 km/h, but also the electronically-controlled snow plough are some of the innovative features of the Vossloh locomotive.

Diesel locomotives, more expensive

Companies are also concerned about costs when choosing a certain product. “The new Stage III B standards
(n.r. – directive draft on non-polluting engines) will increase the costs of diesel locomotives starting with 2012. Therefore, we need to find cheaper solutions for diesel locomotives that can also comply with the new standards”, says Janis Vitins. At the same time, there is also an interest in combining electric and diesel propulsion – “dual-power locomotives, similar to the American ALP-45DP locomotive”, especially because, in the long-term, the need for diesel locomotives will decrease in Europe, and electric locomotives will gain the upper hand.

[ by Ionela Micu ]
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