The Euro9000 6-axle hybrid locomotive manufactured by Stadler has successfully received type approval for operation in the Netherlands and Belgium. An operating licence in Italy is expected to be granted in 2024.
The Euro9000 is an interoperable locomotive specially designed for use on international routes along the main European railway corridors. Following the approval already in place in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the locomotive has now also received approval for operation in Belgium and the Netherlands.
The Euro9000 locomotive meets the technical specifications for interoperability (TSI) and is intended to be equipped with various country packages. These include conventional automatic train protection systems and ETCS to ensure smooth cross-border operations. The basic configuration covers Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, the Netherlands and Belgium, where two prototypes have been successfully tested in the last two years.
The Euro9000 6-axle hybrid locomotive was developed in response to the challenges of rail freight transport. Its more powerful, more versatile design represents an efficient solution to the increasing demands of cross-border transport. The EURO9000 locomotive has been available for use in Germany and Austria since March 2023. It received type approval for operation in Switzerland on 2 November. The current approval for Belgium and the Netherlands is a further milestone for Stadler and emphasises the reliability and performance of the Euro9000 at international level.
“The challenges associated with the interoperability of European rail networks and the European Union’s requirements to shift more freight transport to rail motivated us at Stadler to develop one of our most innovative products – the Euro9000. This underlines our commitment and our pioneering role in shaping the future of rail freight transport,” Iñigo Parra, Executive Vice President of Stadler Division Spain, said.
With a power output of 9 MW, the Euro9000 is currently the most powerful locomotive on the European market. This allows operation on electrified routes with alternating current and direct current. The modular design also enables up to three different drive systems (electric, diesel and/or battery drive) to be installed together so that the same trains can run on non-electrified sections of track. The diesel motors also provide additional power when the locomotive is travelling under a 3-kV DC overhead contact line. The EURO9000 is capable of travelling at high speed on the main European corridors with mixed traffic and often allows longer, heavier trains to be pulled by a single locomotive.
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