09.03.12
SBB Cargo commissions first hybrid locomotive
Efficient and eco-friendly wagonload service
Today, SBB Cargo put the first of its 30 hybrid locomotives into operation. This will provide a more economical and ecological wagonload service. As the most modern locomotive on the market, it will be deployed on main-line duties and in shunting operations.
On Friday at the Limmattal marshalling yard, Nicolas Perrin, CEO of SBB Cargo, proclaimed: «Today a modern and even greener wagonload service is born.» Together with Peter Spuhler, the owner and CEO of the manufacturer Stadler Rail, and Käthi Hagmann, councillor of the town of Zofingen, he christened the first Eem 923 hybrid locomotive Heitern. «I am proud that we are effectively combining sustainability and cost-efficiency with this groundbreaking locomotive and consequently setting a new standard on the market», said Peter Spuhler. In light of this development, SBB Cargo will take on a pioneer role in the European railfreight sector. The second locomotive will be delivered in May; the remaining 28 vehicles ordered will be supplied by Stadler Winterthur AG at a rate of one every three weeks until the end of 2013. The total order volume amounts to CHF 88 million, including replacement parts package.
Greater efficiency, sustainability and cost-effectiveness
The new hybrid locomotive is ideally suited to the future needs of Swiss wagonload service customers, as it combines efficiency and sustainability with cost-effectiveness. The Eam 923 is a perfect match with SBB Cargo's modernised vehicles; the Am 843 locomotive is primarily used for heavy shunting and empty-stock duties and the Tm 232 for light duties. At the same time, the Bm 4/4 shunting locomotives and various six-wheel locomotives and tractors can be taken out of service. Thanks to this new acquisition, SBB Cargo can further reduce the diversity of its vehicles, which makes the operation and maintenance of the entire fleet more cost-effective.
The new hybrid locomotive will also meet SBB Cargo's high environmental standards. Thanks to its high power rating of 1500 kilowatts, it is suitable for both main-line duties and shunting operations. This gives SBB Cargo greater flexibility in the provision of its services. Locomotive drivers can rapidly switch between an electric drive system and auxiliary diesel power. This saves time and money, as it is no longer necessary to make a time-consuming and costly locomotive change for the final leg on non-electrified sidings. The operating and maintenance costs of the hybrid locomotives are also significantly lower than those of the old shunting fleet, and at the same time SBB Cargo anticipates a considerably higher degree of vehicle availability.
The Eem 923 hybrid locomotives are likely to be powered over 90% by electricity. The auxiliary diesel power will only be used on sidings without overhead power lines. As a result, SBB can achieve an annual reduction in CO2 emissions of more than 4000 tonnes per annum compared with today. «We have consciously opted for a forward-looking vehicle which combines long-term economic and ecological benefits»; concluded Nicolas Perrin.
Name-giving: Local peaks as a symbol of sustainability
SBB Cargo is not only breaking new ground with the hybrid locomotive itself, but also in the name-giving process. As the locomotives are going to be used at regional locations, they are being named after local mountains, which symbolise the sustainable, regional and environmental links. The names are being selected by the respective area's Cargo Production Team. In the case of the first Eem 923, which is stationed in Zofingen, the decision was tough. The RCP team, led by Christoph Unternährer, decided on Zofingen's local peak Heitern.
Photos of «Heitern», the first Eem 923 hybrid locomotive, are available at www.sbbcargo.com/de/foto -> Fotogalerie. Photos from the locomotive launch are also expected to be available there from 14:00.
Further information:
SBB
Media Centre
Tel. +41 (0)51 220 41 11
press@sbb.ch
Stadler Rail Group
Tim Büchele, Media Spokesperson
Tel. +41 (0)71 626 31 57
tim.buechele@stadlerrail.com
