At the end of February, Czech Railways received the last of the twelve EffiShunter 300 locomotives ordered. CZ LOKO thus completed a significant contract whose performance started in September 2017. Czech Railways will use the new locomotives for shunting at stations and depots. They were purchased as a substitute for the not very reliable Class 714. In the specific operation of Czech Railways, they will be primarily used for passenger train arrangement and shunting for maintenance.
“The main benefit for the operator is the high reliability of the new locomotives. The locomotives also save approximately 40 % of operating fluids and their servicing is very inexpensive. The surroundings will appreciate noise reduction and compliance with the strictest EU Stage IIIB emission limits. This is particularly true in densely populated areas and indoor halls, where shunting in passenger transport is often carried out,” added Jan Kutálek, Sales Director of CZ LOKO.
The new modern locomotives of the twelve-unit EffiShunter 300 locomotive series for Czech Railways 794.002 – 013 are deployed for shunting throughout the Czech Republic at large railway junctions, such as Prague, Brno, Olomouc, Hradec Králové, Pilsen, Ústí nad Labem and others.
EffiShunter 300 was developed by CZ LOKO as the smallest representative of the product range. It is a two-axle locomotive driven by a CAT C13 engine with a power of 328 kW. The maximum speed is 60 km/h.
“The concept of the vehicle was defined as a smaller affordable shunting locomotive with low operating and maintenance costs. This created an attractive alternative to replacing obsolete locomotives even on sidings with less traffic. I think this will help to revive some siding operations and remove some freight transport from the roads,” says Jaroslav Plhák, Business Director of CZ LOKO.
Thanks to its dimensions, EffiShunter 300 can also be used in metros and on other special railways. This is also confirmed by the success of last year, when CZ LOKO won the contract for the supply of this locomotive class for the Warsaw metro.