Knorr-Bremse and the Finnish rail maintenance company VR FleetCare signed a lifecycle management contract for overhaul and repair services for the braking systems of the entire Sr2-type freight and passenger locomotive fleet comprising 46 vehicles. Until 2028, when the contract will expire, Knorr-Bremse RailServices will maintain the brake control and wheel slide protection units of the vehicles’ braking systems.
In order to help secure the smooth and trouble-free operation of VR Group’s Sr2 locomotive fleet, the service agreement consists of two modules. The refreshment service will ensure a planned overhaul of the brake control and wheel slide protection units, while the repair service, including proactive obsolescence management, will provide preventive measures to secure the vehicles’ life time should critical parts be discontinued or become out-dated.
After the Sr1 locomotives, the Sr2 series is the second generation of electric locomotives. Operated by VR Group since the mid-1990s and with a 1,524 mm gauge, the Sr2 fleet is used both for passenger and freight transport services. They are able to rut at top speeds of up to 210 km/h.
Both brake control and wheel slide protection units have been developed and delivered by Knorr-Bremse. After reliably running for more than 30 years, the electronic components are increasingly affected by aging effects and obsolescence.
Under the lifecycle management contract, Knorr-Bremse will now be assisting VR FleetCare in ensuring the fleet’s operability over their entire lifecycle.
As part of an integrated lifecycle management, Knorr-Bremse RailServices enables trains to operate for up to 40 years and helps optimise the operating costs.
“For the first time, Knorr-Bremse is supporting a client with one of its new two-pronged carefree packages covering both refreshment and repair service”, Mark Cleobury, Member of the Management Board of Knorr-Bremse Rail Vehicle Systems said.
VR Group is planning to equip two Sr2 locomotives in 2022 for the ERTMS/ETCS pilot. The serial installations of ERTMS/ETCS+STM on-board subsystems in Sr2 locomotives will begin in 2025. Serial installations for Sr2 locomotives are expecting to take place in 2025–2029. EUR 24.7 million is the estimated value of the project for the 46 Sr2 locomotives.
To develop its fleet, VR Group and Stadler signed a EUR 200 million contract for the delivery of 60 new diesel-electric locomotives.
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