Hungary’s first hybrid locomotive to be tested soon

The first electric hybrid train, ordered by the company Rail Cargo Hungaria from the Chinese manufacturer, will soon arrive in Hungary. The pandemic motivates railway companies to develop and change their technologies all over Europe and Hungary will not be an exception.

Rail Cargo Hungaria has ordered two hybrid relief engines and two hybrid yard locomotives from the world s largest rolling stock manufacturer company, the Chinese CRRC.

The first locomotive has been manufactured, it is on its way to Europe, and its testing will take place soon in Hungary.

 – Magyar Nemzet received a response of the rail freight company.

The vehicle was developed by the engineers of the world’s largest rolling stock company in Zhuzhou, and the production is carried out in the factory located in the province of Hunan.

The contract signed in 2019 contains the parameters given by Rail Cargo Hungaria based on which the company CRRC develops the electric hybrid and zero-emission yard locomotives and the high-capacity relief engines. For now, only two vehicles of both types are being manufactured. Still, if the machines fulfil the expectations of the company, the possibility is given for the production of an additional number of 20+20 locomotives.

Imre Kovács, a member of the board of Rail Cargo Group, has recently said on an event that

“the long-term plan of the group is to acquire 200 hybrid yard locomotives altogether.” 

The first yard locomotive was finished in September, the production of the rest is currently in progress.

Hybrid technology is relatively new in the field of railway transportation, but since the EU will not support the purchase of diesel engines in the future, new solutions need to be found.

Advantages of hybrid machines are the most significant when the train has to run a distance without overhead wires. In this case, the locomotive obtains its power from the so-called Last Mile Power Package accumulator. Cargo shipping trains running with an electric locomotive on a trail equipped with overhead wires can transport a huge amount of cargo on a long-distance in an economical way. However when they arrive to their destination they need to switch as side-tracks, logistical parks and train stations can only be reached by diesel power. In practice, this means the changing of the locomotive, which is, of course, less useful as it requires extra time, money and staff.