It’s not British, but it’s certainly impressive. Freightliner Poland has taken delivery of its first six-axle electric ‘Dragon’ locomotive with last mile diesel engine from Newag S.A.
During a ceremony held at Warszawa Wschodnia railway station on June 9, 2016, Newag S.A. officially handed over the first of five ‘Dragon’ locomotives to Freightliner PL.
These cutting-edge, six-axle electric locomotives equipped with an additional diesel engine for operations on non-electrified end lines and at sidings. The ‘Dragon’ locomotives were fully designed and manufactured in Poland with financing provided by ING Lease (Poland).
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During the official ceremony, the first ‘Dragon’ locomotive was named Ernest Malinowski – an outstanding Polish railway engineer and constructor of the Central Trans-Andean Railway in Peru. Malinowski’s achievements have proved that Poland can be the source of world-class technology.
Konstantin Skorik, President of the Board, Freightliner PL: “Investing in modern rolling stock is one way to uplift the image of railway services. From the very beginning of its operations, Freightliner has implemented a strategy of maximum efficiency based on new and reliable locomotives and wagons. Our locomotives are, on average, eight years old. We believe that if you are not moving forward, you are going backwards.”
“As a result, we have decided to extend our fleet with ‘Dragon’S — new, six-axle electric locomotives, which have an additional diesel engine. The ‘Dragon’ locomotives are the product of Polish engineering, which is characterised by the highest parameters of power, efficiency, ergonomics and reliability. We are very proud that we have ordered locomotives designed and manufactured in Poland, creating specialist know-how and employment opportunities.”
Józef Michalik, Deputy President of the Board, Newag S.A.: “I am very proud and honoured to officially hand over the first of three ‘Dragon’ E6ACTd six-axle locomotives to the management of Freightliner PL. We are convinced that their reliability and technical readiness (at 99.3% and 99.5% respectively) will significantly reduce spending on rolling stock reserve. The six-axle locomotive is the first of its kind manufactured in Poland equipped with the dual power module, enabling its operation on non-electrified sidings.”
