Hector Rail is buying three locomotives from Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB). The locomotives have a capacity of 6,400 kW, almost twice as much as Rc, the Swedish standard locomotive. They are designed for speeds of up to 230 km/h, faster than any locomotive currently used in Sweden. The locomotives are approximately ten years old. As asynchronous locomotives, they are based on the same technology as those that are presently being built. The first locomotive will be delivered by this summer. The investment strengthens Hector Rail’s existing fleet of 17 locomotives, all but one of which are in service.
Although the original idea was for the locomotives to serve as ÖBB’s standard, they turned out to be too expensive compared with what suppliers could subsequently offer. ÖBB decided to order more than 300 Taurus locomotives to ensure a standardised fleet. As part of the standardisation process, ÖBB was looking to sell these locomotives. The deal further extends the partnership between Hector Rail and ÖBB.
The company that owns the locomotives, ÖBB Traktion, is in charge of the sale. ÖBB Technische Services is renovating and customising the locomotives in Austria for use in Swedish traffic.
