Germany: As IRJ reports, the freight operator has sent the pre-series batch of eight HDB 800 locomotives to be scrapped. The withdrawn shunters were at various stages of assembly.
The termination of the joint project between DB Cargo and Toshiba was announced at the end of last year. At the time, the operator cited difficulties with EU type approval, while the Japanese manufacturer pointed to changed conditions in the European rail market.
In 2020, DB Cargo placed an order with Toshiba for 50 hybrid locomotives and planned to lease a further 50 through Railpool. The result was the HDB 800, powered by two diesel engines and a lithium-titanate battery (see the full feature on the locomotive here). The HDB 800 was expected to cut fuel consumption by 30% compared with DB Cargo’s existing diesel fleet.
Deliveries had originally been scheduled to begin in 2021. In the event, the first two locomotives were not completed until 2024. Type approval testing was carried out at Alstom’s site in Hennigsdorf but was never concluded.
It is worth noting that in 2021 DB Cargo also awarded a framework contract for up to 250 Modula BDD hybrid locomotives with comparable specifications to Vossloh Rolling Stock (part of China’s CRRC). The manufacturer has confirmed to IRJ that the firm order for 50 locomotives is proceeding on schedule, with the first units due to enter service in mid-2027.
