Testing Of Class ET43 Dragons Continues

As part of the approval of the Class ET43 of PKP CARGO for operation in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, test runs with the ET43-001 were carried out this April on the Správa železnic network. After that, Dragon returned to VUZ Velim, where it had previously stayed since the end of 2020, and at the beginning of June it left for Slovakia.

Here, it carried out three days of test runs to verify compatibility with the Slovak rail network and to perform ESC and TTI (ETCS System Compatibility and Train-Track Interaction) tests:
- on 1 June compatibility tests with the 25 kV 50 Hz traction network in the Bratislava východ (east) - Púchov section,
- on 2 June ESC for the ETCS Slovakia application area, compatibility with ETCS Level 1 in the Bratislava východ - Žilina section,
- on 3 June ESC for the ETCS Slovakia application area, compatibility with ETCS Level 1 and Level 2 in the Bratislava východ - Mosty u Jablunkova section.

Subsequently Dragon returned to Poland. At Newag, ET43-001 is awaiting type approval and APOM (Authorisation for Placing on the Market), together with other Class ET43 locomotives. At present, all conformity assessments are being finalised, to be followed by an application through the ERA OSS (One-Stop Shop). With the first of the already completed Dragons, the necessary tests are being carried out on the PKP PLK network.