Germany: The Japanese manufacturer and the freight operator DB Cargo have agreed to stop the HDB 880 project, started back in 2017. As reported by Railcolor News, Toshiba explained it by the changed conditions in Europe’s rail market, while the customer referred to the complexity of certification procedures in the EU.
Toshiba and DB Cargo started their cooperation in 2015 with the project dedicated to the upgrade of two V90 shunting diesel locomotives. The rolling stock powered by diesel fuel was converted to lithium-ion battery traction, which ensured a 20% reduction in fuel consumption.
Following the successful tests, DB Cargo decided to scale up the project. In 2020, Toshiba received an order for 50 new hybrid shunters, with an additional 50 locomotives planned to be leased by the German operator from Railpool.
As a result, the manufacturer developed the HDB 800 locomotive with hybrid traction, provided by two diesel engines and a lithium-titanate battery (follow the link to know more about the vehicle). The HDB 800 was designed on the base of the HD300 hybrid locomotives, which were produced in 2012–2018 for the Japanese freight operator JR Freight. The new shunters were expected to save fuel by 30% compared to DB Cargo’s current fleet of diesel locomotives.
The start of the delivery was scheduled for 2021, but the first two vehicles rolled off the production line of the Talbot Services plant in German Aachen only in 2024. The certification tests were conducted at Alstom’s site in Hennigsdorf, Germany, but they were not completed. According to Railcolor News, Toshiba has produced a total of eight locomotives, but there are no plans for what to do with them.
It is worth noting that in 2021, DB Cargo awarded Vossloh Rolling Stock (part of CRRC) with a contract for up to 250 Modula BDD hybrid locomotives with similar characteristics.
