Nordic Rail Service is a part of the Lübecker Hafen-Gesellschaft (LHG) corporate group. Its decision to lease a second EuroDual locomotive is the outcome of a meticulous evaluation process. The EuroDual locomotive offers advantages for bulk goods transportation, particularly in terms of its performance and reliability, ELP noted.
According to NRS, the EuroDual locomotive offers significant advantages compared to six-axle diesel locomotives. Six-axle diesel locomotives are more demanding in terms of maintenance due to their diesel engines, whereas the EuroDual provides a diesel-electric concept that is not only more reliable but also more powerful and faster in acceleration. This is crucial for increasing efficiency.
Furthermore, operators like NRS benefit from lower operating costs and reduced environmental impact since they can operate more frequently under overhead lines.
The EuroDual locomotive is utilized on various routes in the northern German region, particularly for transporting construction materials. It is used to load materials from quarries and unload them at asphalt plants and transshipment points in non-electrified areas.
“Nordic Rail Service has established a reputation in the heavy freight train transport sector, particularly with its numerous construction material shipments. The company has years of experience in using six-axle locomotives and is excited to fully transition to the EuroDual as the successor to its pure diesel heavy-duty locomotives,” said Emiel Knarren, sales manager at ELP.
Jörg Ullrich, managing director of Nordic Rail Services, added: “A crucial factor is the exceptional load capacity of the EuroDual locomotive and its ability to efficiently handle the so-called first and last mile. This is of great significance as we often operate on non-electrified routes at unloading points and branch lines where the use of electric locomotives is not feasible. The EuroDual locomotive enables us to navigate these routes efficiently and in an environmentally friendly manner.”
European Loc Pool focuses on innovative six-axle hybrid locomotives with a power output of up to 2.8MW diesel, 9MW electric and a traction capacity of 500kN. As standard, all vehicles are equipped with ETCS Baseline 3 for Level 2 operations.
The first ELP EuroDual locomotives have been in service on the German rail network since April 2020. They enable operation on electrified and non-electrified lines as well as load-mile and shunting operations.
From mid-2023, the second generation of ELP’s dual locomotives, the Euro9000, were put into service as a hybrid multi-system electric locomotive designed for use in all European corridors. As the launching customer, European Loc Pool ordered the first ten Euro9000 locomotives from Stadler in May 2019.
The first version with 1.9MW of diesel and 9MW of electric power at 500kN tractive effort will be used in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Italy, Belgium, and Switzerland. Subsequently, the locomotive’s area of operation will be expanded to other countries and corridors.