RAILPOWER Technologies has signed agreements covering the production and servicing of Green Goat hybrid locomotives in Scandinavia and the British Isles, and loco assembly in the USA.
Swedish Train Technology announced on July 26 that it had signed a licensing agreement for Scandinavia, following a memorandum of understanding agreed on September 28 2004. An initial loco conversion is underway at STT’s Vetlanda plant, and according to RailPower President Jim Maier it will be ’operational in the last quarter of this year’.STT Managing Director Stellan Hagman said ’we believe our T43H demonstration unit will prove the fuel, maintenance and emission savings that can be attained. Fuel is very costly in Scandinavia. We also think the lower noise footprint of the hybrid locomotive will be an important consideration too.’
On July 19 RailPower announced supply and assembly agreements with Super Steel Products Corp of Milwaukee and Super Steel Schenectady of Glenville, New York state, where locos will be assembled.
The previous month Brush Traction had agreed exclusive manufacturing and servicing rights for Green Goat in Britain and Ireland. John Bidewell, Managing Director of the Loughborough firm, said a Class 86 25 kV electric loco supplied by leasing firm HSBC Rail was under consideration for the first conversion.
