Newag handed over PKP Cargo the first batch of 12 dual-voltage Dragon 2 electric locomotives manufactured at Nowy Sącz plant, in Lesser Poland Voivodeship.
The new locomotives are equipped with 3kV DC and 25kV AC power systems and will run on Polish railways as well as on the rail networks of the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The purchased vehicles will allow to increase operational capacity on foreign markets, in particular in the Czech Republic, which is the PKP Cargo’s largest market after Poland.
“The purchase of Dragon 2 electric locomotives and the planned launch of the transhipment terminal in Zduńska Wola Karsznice are key elements of PKP Cargo’s development strategy. The new rolling stock opens up additional opportunities for us to compete effectively in the Czech Republic and Slovakia and is an opportunity for expansion in the countries of the Three Seas region,” Dariusz Seliga, the President of PKP Cargo said.
The locomotive delivery also includes software and licenses necessary to operate the locomotives in the country as well as on the other two rail networks. In addition, PKP Cargo will receive a set of brand new spare parts and subassemblies included in the so-called emergency kit.
The carrier’s staff will also undergo training and authorisation for the maintenance and operation of the locomotives.
In 2019, PKP Cargo and Newag signed a framework contract for the supply of 31 Dragon 2 six-axle locomotives worth PLN 519 million (EUR 112 million, in 2023 prices). The contract included the delivery of 7 electric locomotives equipped with diesel modules and 24 new dual-voltage locomotives. The first 7 Dragon 2 locomotives are already used by the carrier. PKP Cargo’s Dragons 2 locomotive fleet will increase to 34 vehicles, with the first three ordered and received in 2018. By the end of this year, the rail freight operator will also receive nine more dual-voltage Dragon 2 locomotives and the last three vehicles will be delivered in 2024.
Dragon 2 locomotives with a diesel access module allow trains to pass through non-electrified sections of adhesive routes without the need to replace the locomotive or to operate the vehicle on sidings. The modules therefore guarantee an increase in the operational capacity of electric locomotives. Dragons 2 are used to the greatest extent to drive heavy trains with a gross weight of even more than 3,000 tonnes with such loads as hard coal, ores or aggregates.
The six-axle electric locomotives are fully compliant with the Technical Specifications for Interoperability and equipped with ETCS level 2.
The purchase of Dragon 2 electric locomotives is an essential element of improving operational efficiency, which is one of the most important strategic goals of the PKP Cargo Group.
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