New locomotives for the South Island unveiled

The first of KiwiRail’s new hi-tech locomotives have been unveiled in Christchurch.

Transport Minister Simeon Brown came to see the first two prototypes, which were built by world-leading locomotive manufacturer Stadler in Spain, at Christchurch’s Middleton rail depot.

KiwiRail Chief Executive Peter Reidy said 66 new DM class locomotives have been purchased, with government funding from previous Budgets to replace KiwiRail’s aging locomotives and wagons.

“These modern machines will be a huge benefit, especially for our customers in the South Island where most of the new locomotive fleet will be based. The new locos will gradually replace our DX fleet, which on average is 48-years old and is expensive to maintain,” he said.

“As the new machines enter service, it will mean greater reliability for our freight customers, which is crucial for growing rail. Rail is already a lower emissions transport mode, producing 70 per cent fewer emissions per tonne carried compared with heavy road freight.

The DMs are built to the leading European emissions standards and are fuel efficient, with potential to further reduce emissions from the South Island fleet by 20 to 25 per cent.

“This matters to our customers and to KiwiRail, and will help New Zealand towards its climate change targets,” Reidy said.

“For KiwiRail, the new locos will significantly improve efficiency. Not only do they have a cab at each end, reducing some of the need to run two locos on freight trains, they also have modern traction control, to better utilise the more powerful high speed engine.

“Being more powerful, the DM’s will be able to pull larger trains, which will help future proof us for the freight growth expected over the long term. A modern standardised, locomotive fleet has been on KiwiRail’s wishlist for a long time and the arrival of these first two locomotives are a tangible sign that the significant investment in rail by successive governments over the past years, is bearing fruit.”

Of the 66 DM locomotives, 47 will be used in the South Island and 19 in the North Island.

The first two DM locomotives will go through an extensive testing and commissioning programme at Middleton over the next six months before they enter service. The DM’s will continue to arrive in batches until late 2026.

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