Rail Operations (UK) Limited has signed a framework agreement with Stadler for the supply of 30 Class 93 tri-mode locomotives, of which an initial batch of 10 locomotives will be due for delivery in early 2023.
The Class 93 is a Bo-Bo mixed-traffic locomotive based on Stadler’s Class 68 and Class 88 locomotives that have been operating successfully in the UK for some years. Described in detail in the Rail Engineer article Re-engineering Rail Freight (issue 185, July August 2020), it is capable of reaching higher speed than the previous ones– 110mph instead of 100mph.
Stadler’s first tri-mode locomotive has three different power sources. In electric mode, it is able to run on 25kV AC overhead lines with a power of 4,000 kW. In addition, the locomotive features a Caterpillar C32 engine and Lithium Titanate Oxide (LTO) traction battery packs, allowing it to operate over non-electrified lines.