More DLs From China

 

KiwiRail’s further 20 DL locomotives from CNR Corporation will arrive in the second half of next year.

They will be the same as the 20 locomotives that have recently been delivered to KiwiRail.

This enables withdrawal of the oldest and least reliable units from KiwiRail’s fleet of 149 mainline locomotives dating from 1961-88.

The new DL locomotives

The double-cab DLs have a German-built 2700kW engine with similar pulling power to the electric locomotives that are used on the NIMT between Hamilton and Palmerston North.

Necessary compliance testing required for the introduction of the new locomotives onto the rail network and driver training for KiwiRail’s locomotive engineers has been carried out over the past six months using the first six locomotives.

The locomotives have been built by the Dalian Locomotive and Rolling Stock Co. Ltd, which is part of the CNR Group.

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4 Comments

 
  1. Carl says:

    they should just change the name on the side to chaneseee rail, would suit it.

  2. Publius says:

    Any reason these modern diesel-electric units couldn’t run off the electric grid, then on diesel when no electricity overhead?
    Our useless electrification surely can be put to some use?

  3. George D says:

    Cool! I honestly think it doesn’t matter where they’re built (once the money goes overseas it’s all foreign spending).

    There’s no reason why they can’t build top quality trains (and their wages are increasing very rapidly, so the price advantage is narrowing). They build 380km/h bullet trains which are reportedly very good. If we ever build the High Speed Rail Lines of National Significance, I hope they get considered.

  4. Marko says:

    I saw all the loco’s that got delivered to kiwirail lined up on the eastern line by the port…sparkling new…absolutely marvelous

 

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