CZECH REPUBLIC: National operator ČD has awarded CZ Loko a KC684m contract to produce 14 EffiShunter 1000M diesel locomotives by rebuilding Class 742 locos originally manufactured by ČKD Praha in 1977-86.
Only the bogies and frames will be retained. To be used for heavy shunting and rescue work by the passenger operator, the locos will have a 1 MW diesel engine and modern traction equipment giving a maximum speed of 100 km/h, with lower emissions than at present. They will be equipped with ETCS to enable main line operation.
The first rebuild is scheduled to be completed by the end of February 2023, and the last by the end of 2024.
In November 2018, CZ Loko was awarded a KC2·1bn contract to undertake 50 similar rebuilds for ČD Cargo. ‘We offer not only a reasonable price:performance ratio despite the current extreme growth in component prices, but also meet demanding delivery deadlines and expected quality levels’, said CZ Loko CEO Josef Gulyás.
‘The comprehensive rebuild of the Class 742 locomotives to the EffiShunter 1000M standard fits into our 2030 Strategy under which we want to renew a significant part of our fleet’, said Michal Kraus, ČD’s Deputy General Manager for Operations when the contract was announced on February 7.
