PowerHaul® locos ready for testing

• 
• 30th August 2009
• Materials Handling
 

In November 2007 Freightliner announced an order for 30 brand new diesel-electric locos to be produced by GE Transportation in Erie, Pennsylvania. The initial batch of six are on track for delivery later this year, with the first two due in November and the following four in December.

This is the first time revolutionary technology has been fitted into one locomotive to enable greater payload capacity, increased acceleration and tractive effort and improved fuel efficiencies, leading to better environmental performance whilst fit for UK infrastructure.

Having taken deliveries of bogie frames from Austria, engines from Grove city and platforms from Erie - the GE team have completed the build of both the first two locos 70001 and 70002. They are now about to take to the 4 mile test track at GE's facility in Erie before final modifications and preparation for transit.

"We are excited that we have reached the Erie track testing phase of the PowerHaul locomotive project, yet another milestone in the development of the PowerHaul locomotive for Freightliner," said Bob Parisi, Executive Product Manager, GE Transportation, "Track testing is one more important step to serving our customer Freightliner in the UK and to introducing this groundbreaking locomotive system to the UK and European markets. This is a complex build and we are very happy to be on schedule for a delivery to the UK in November this year. In addition, the PowerHaul engine showcased at the 2008 Innotrans Rail Show in Berlin is in its final stages of EU Stage IIIa certification and should be completed by the end of July."

Tim Shakerley, Engineering Director, Freightliner Group, added "We have been extremely pleased by the progress of the design and build of the PowerHaul locomotive. GE have packaged the technology well, and the progress towards commissioning and acceptance is on target. We look forward to being able to exploit the additional haulage capacity and environmental benefits."

Further information and fact sheet is available to download at

www.freightliner.co.uk/news

GE and Freightliner have also launched a Twitter feed to update on the progress prior to delivery. Simply follow www.twitter.com/PowerHaul

for more details or contact;

Philippa Brooks
Freightliner Group Ltd
+44 (0)207 200 3902