POLAND: Following an official unveiling at the Trako trade fair in Gdańsk, certification testing has started with a Type 207E electric freight locomotive which Rail Polska has produced by extensively rebuilding an Lugansk-built M62M diesel locomotive, known as the Type ST44 in Poland.
In 2015 Rail Polska decided to develop at least 20 such 3 kV DC locomotives for its own needs, and also with a view to potential sale or leasing on the Polish market. The company expects that rebuilt locomotives would be around the half the cost of newly built locomotives, with lower operating and maintenance costs than a conventional M62. As a rebuild it would also avoid the need to comply with the latest technical standards.
The project was undertaken at RP’s workshop in Włosienica in Małopolskie voivodship, with a new modular body but retaining the original bogies and frames.
Suppliers included VIS Systems, Mecom, IPS Tabor, Inteko and Wabtec. The locomotive has EMD D77/78 traction motors, and has a power output of 2 400 kW, a continuous tractive effort of 300 kN and maximum speed of 100 km/h. The 20 tonne axleload enables it to operate across the Polish electrified network.
