BRAZIL: Companhia Paulista de Trens Metropolitanos has received the first of two diesel-electric locomotives that will be used for hauling maintenance trains on São Paulo’s 1 600 mm gauge suburban network.
Built by Progress Rail, the Type PR22 locomotive was handed over at the company’s Hortolândia facility on July 28. The second will follow by the end of the year.
CPTM’s Rolling stock Maintenance Manager Fábio Abud said commissioning tests had already started and that the 2 200 hp locomotive would be released for commercial duties as soon as the trials had been completed. Able to haul trains grossing up to 535 tonnes, it will be deployed hauling trains of ballast and other track maintenance materials.
Director of Operations Luiz Argenton added that CPTM’s maintenance services would become more efficient as the locomotive ‘will make it possible for defects that interrupt traffic to be dealt with more quickly, which will benefit our passengers’.
The new motive power burns S10 low-sulphur diesel fuel as required under Brazilian legislation covering urban areas.
