PKP Cargo Tenders Multisystem Locomotives For Intermodal Services

On 16 April 2020 PKP Cargo published tender for five multi-system locomotives. This is the last of the PKP Cargo’s batches of those vehicles, for which 50 % of the purchase price is to be supported by EU’s Cohesion funds through the POIiŚ (Program Operacyjny Infrastruktura i Środowisko - OP Infrastructure and Environment), supporting purchase of technics for intermodal transport in Poland.

The announcement of this tender competition was expected at the end of 2019 and then in January 2020, but it happened only now. The deadline for submission of bids is set for 28 May 2020, deliveries are planned from February to April 2022. PKP Cargo requires locomotives for operation on 3 kV DC, 15 kV and 25 kV AC voltage systems, with a maximum speed of at least 140 km/h and equipped for operation in Poland, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. The locomotive shall be able to haul a 1,800 t train on a 10 ‰ gradient and a 3,200 t train on a 4 ‰ gradient. Furthermore, it shall be able to haul a 1,600 t train on a gradient of 2 ‰ at a speed of 125 km/h and at a speed of 50 km/h on a 10 ‰ gradient.

Given the conditions of the support program, the locomotives will only have to be used in intermodal transport for the duration of the project's sustainability period, i.e. first five years. Under this program, the EU will distribute 1,133,763,540 PLN (approximately 250 million EUR) to Polish carriers and operators.

In addition to these multi-system locomotives, PKP Cargo will also purchase 936 container wagons using this support program. The competition for 220 80-foot Sggrs(s) cars has been won by the Greenbrier Companies and will be manufactured in one of the Romanian factories of former Astra Rail Industries. Tatravagónka won the competition for a package of other deliveries. These include 324 40-foot Sgmmns(s) cars, 468 80-foot Sggrs(s) cars and 144 90-foot Sggmrs(s) cars.