Products & Technology, Rolling stock & Rail Vehicle Design

A commitment to a better future

How Stadler locomotives are bringing about greener mobility.

Decisions today are likely to have profound implications for the transport future of tomorrow. For example, railway vehicles have an expected life of around thirty years, which means rollingstock designed today probably will be operating in the middle of the century.

Swiss rail manufacturer Stadler is at the forefront of initiatives to make train travel and transport sustainable. The company says it is committed to making rolling stock greener and more sustainable in line with the global objectives for 2050 to combat climate change.

“The product range in the field of mainline railways and city transport includes high-speed trains, intercity trains, regional and suburban trains, metros, tramways and trams,” a Stadler spokesperson said.

“Stadler also manufactures mainline and shunting locomotives. They are highly innovative, boasting state-of-the-art technology to boost energy efficiency and to cut both gas emissions and noise.” 

More than 2,500 locomotives have been sold worldwide, from the desert to the Arctic Circle, from Andean lines at high altitude to rail networks in warm and humid climates, its range of locomotives cater for a wide variety of markets, running reliably every day all over the world.

The company has talked of locomotives that are “versatile, economical and green”, boosting energy efficiency, performance and reliability resulting in an optimal LCC and therefore, long-term cost effectiveness of the rail operations, together with ecological benefits for the communities where they operate”.

“Innovative design features including electric brake with energy recovery, a compact design, lightweight monocoque carbody and an efficient AC/AC transmission system with one inverter per axle provide improved adhesion performance, high level of redundancy and superior reliability,” the spokesperson said.

“The latest bogie technology results in lower wear and tear on the infrastructure.” 

Safety and efficiency

Safe and efficient operations are said to start in the driver’s cab.

“Stadler designs the locomotive cabs in consultation with drivers and in accordance with the latest noise and comfort criteria and applicable standards. The locomotive driver’s cabs are fully isolated, both acoustically and thermally, and feature an optimised HVAC system,” the spokesperson said.

“They provide excellent visibility and include a survival space for the driver and driving advice systems so that drivers can run locomotives in a safe and more energy efficient way.”

Using state-of-the-art engines, powerful and high-performance locomotives of Stadler also meet the latest exhaust gas emissions regulations (EU Stage V or EPA Tier 4), significantly reducing emissions of core pollutants, NOx (Oxides of Nitrogen) and particulates (PM) as compared with EPA Tier 3 or EU Stage IIIA. The latest generation engines employ advanced combustion systems and associated technology, having been recently designed with further future reductions of emissions in mind and hence provide a route to later upgrades if required. Although CO2 emissions associated with climate change are unregulated, it is expected fuel consumption and hence CO2 emissions will be reduced with the adoption of advanced, new generation engines.

Stadler’s mainline locomotives are available with four- or six-axles and on standard, narrow or broad gauges. They are also available with different propulsion systems. Their modular design allows installing up to three different on-board propulsion systems (diesel, electric and/or battery) so to efficiently cover operational needs on electrified and non-electrified routes.

Some examples include:

The powerful bi-mode EURODUAL locomotive operate freight transport services with a speed up to 120 km/h combining both operating modes: electric and diesel. The versatile machines can run on electrified lines rated at 6150 kW. They are also powered by a CAT C175-16 Stage V engine, rated at 2800 kW, to run on non-electrified lines. 

The new Class 93 for the UK, Stadler´s first tri-mode locomotive, has three different power sources. In electric mode, it can run on 25 kV AC overhead lines with a power of 4,000 kW. The engine has a nominal power of 900 kW, which can be boosted by two LTO battery packs providing 400 kW extra when running on non-electrified lines. Shunting operations can be powered by the batteries alone.

Narrow-gauge networks

Stadler has also wide experience in the supply of state-of-the-art rail vehicles for narrow-gauge networks and has developed a new generation of Co-Co locomotives available in diesel traction as well as in dual-mode traction (diesel + electric), for operations on narrow-gauge and low axle-load tracks. Sharing substantial amount of components and technological solutions, Stadler’s narrow-gauge Co-Co locomotives are designed to operate in different markets and environments, such as ones in Europe, South America and Asia.

“The advanced locomotives significantly reduce carbon emissions for both rail freight as well as potential passenger transport services,” a spokesperson said.

“This underscores Stadler’s green credentials and demonstrates its commitment to green mobility.”

Stadler has been building trains for more than 75 years.

The provider of rail vehicle construction solutions is based in Bussnang in eastern Switzerland.

It has a workforce of around 12,300 based in various production and engineering locations as well as more than 40 service locations.