VR Group ordered 60 new diesel locomotives from Stadler, under a EUR 200 million contract, with an option for 100 additional locomotives, including the possibility to buy locomotive maintenance from Stadler. The new locomotives will be deployed for shunting work in shunting yards, cargo loading and unloading and for rail traffic on non-electrified railway sections. The vehicles will be tailored for the demanding climatic conditions of Finland that must operate at -40°C.
The first new diesel locomotives will start operating in 2022 and the rest will be delivered to Finland by 2025. These locomotives will gradually replace the diesel locomotives manufactured in the 60s, 70s and 80s.
“The new locomotives will benefit Finnish industry, as they will be mainly used in freight traffic. They will also improve the environmental friendliness of rail transport, as the new model clearly outperforms the old diesel locomotives in terms of emissions and energy efficiency,” VR Group’s President and CEO Rolf Jansson, said.
VR says that diesel locomotives are still needed, as the majority of the shunting yard tracks, as well as about 45% of the Finnish railway network are non-electrified. Jansson explained that the demand for diesel locomotives will drop from the current nearly 200 due to electrification of lines and the auxiliary diesel capability of our Sr3 locomotive.
The 18m-long locomotive has a maximum tractive effort of 346 kN, capable of pulling a 2000-tonne train. They are designed to run at speeds of 120 km/h.
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