New Zealand: Since the end of July, a six-axle narrow-gauge Class DM locomotive has been in operation in New Zealand between Christchurch and Timaru. It is required to complete 5,000 km of trial running.
The locomotives, which feature two driver’s cabs, are designed for operation at up to 100 km/h on 1,067 mm-gauge lines. They are equipped with traction technology based on IGBT inverters and 3 MW Caterpillar diesel engines meeting EU Stage V emissions standards. Starting tractive effort is rated at 415 kN. To improve fuel efficiency, the power units are fitted with an automatic start-stop system, while condition-monitoring and predictive analytics technology has also been integrated.
The narrow-gauge six-axle DM locomotive from Stadler for KiwiRail. Source: geoffmackley/youtube
The entry into service follows seven months of testing on KiwiRail’s network. A total of 57 locomotives are to be supplied under a 2021 contract, with the first two units delivered from Stadler’s Valencia plant last year.
