Škoda Supplies Mechanical Drives for 110 GE Locomotives

Škoda Electric, a subsidiary of Škoda Transportation, signed contract with U.S. conglomerate GE Transportation to supply 660 pieces of complete mechanical drives for 110 locomotives. They are destined for passenger transport for Kazakhstan State Railways (Kazakhstan Temir Zholy – KTZ). The total contract value is 38 million euros. The first prototype for GE Transportation will be transmitted this year. The series delivery will start at the turn of 2014 and 2015.

“The new contract brings the possibility of cooperation with global giant GE Transportation, which is one of the global leaders in engineering and also among the world’s largest manufacturer of locomotives for cargo transport. With the new Evolution TM series locomotives now GE Transportation penetrates into the development and production of locomotives for passenger traffic, “said Martin Sobotka, Head of Škoda Electric traction motors.

Škoda Electric will deliver complete mechanical drives for 110 diesel electric locomotives. It includes engine, transmission and wheelset. New locomotives are constructed for maximum speed up to 160 km per hour. They will have to fulfill high reliability of traffic. Key requirement is to ensure the operability of the delivered components in climatically difficult conditions, because there is a difference in temperature from – 55 to + 55 degrees Celsius.

GE Transportation did not choose new supplier of mechanical drives for locomotives in the classic tender, but Skoda Electric was approached directly. “We consider the contract for GE Transportation as award for our existing supplies. In the past we produced a similar engine for example for Alstom company. Currently we are working with a global manufacturer Hyundai Rotem. We supply them with complete drives for 80 locomotives, “said Jaromír Šilhánek, CEO of Škoda Electric. An important role in choosing Škoda Electric was experience of the American company Caterpillar. “We have to fulfill high quality standarts in the case of supply of engines for Caterpillar mining machines. This company evaluated us in challenging certification as one of its best suppliers, which only confirms our good position in the industry, “said Jaromír Šilhánek.

Along with a new project for GE Transporation Škoda Electric delivers to Hyundai Rotem complete electrical equipment and mechanical drives for eighty locomotives for 76 million euros. Machines are finally destined for the Turkish State Railways. Under the contract has Škoda Electric already supplied a complete drives for 19 locomotives. Since the end of January experts from Škoda Electric participated in the commissioning of the first two prototypes of locomotives in South Korea.

Technical aspects of the contract:

GE Transportation is developing to Kazakhstan a new diesel-electric locomotives for passenger transport. The maximum speed of the locomotive is 160 km/hour and it has an arrangement in which each locomotive has two chassis, each with three independently driven axes. On each axis is stored two-staged transmission associated by gear clutch with 475 kW induction motor Skoda Electric, which is firmly attached to the chassis. The concept of this new locomotive is based on cargo locomotives which operates in Kazakhstan. Original DC motors were replaced for motors according to the above concept. This configuration of the drive unit is new for the GE Transportation company. The company ordered complete drive unit consisting of a traction engine, transmission and wheelset from the Škoda Transportation group.

Source : Skoda Railways