New Zealand Crane Group unloaded KiwiRail's remaining 14 new locomotives (6 previously arrived late last year) from the vessel Tasman Flyer. The new locomotives will be used on the Auckland-Hamilton-Tauranga "golden triangle" freight route, the Bay of Plenty forestry routes and around the North Island.
Swire Shipping was in charge of the shipment of the locomotives from Dalian Locomotive, a company located in Dalian in the Liaoning Province, China to the Port of Auckland.NZ Crane Group provided 2 x 220 tonne cranes to tandem lift the 120 tonne weighing locomotives on a multi axle platform trailer.
The locomotives where then transported to an existing rail connection, where NZ Cranes’ 300 tonne Grove GMK6300 offloaded the locomotives of the platform trailer and placed them on the rail. The operation took place around the clock.
KiwiRail said these locomotives and subsequent additions to the locomotive and wagon fleets will play a critical role in KiwiRail's Turnaround Plan, a 10-year programme to create a sustainable rail business that can stand on its own feet financially.
The new double-cab locomotives would be more fuel efficient than the current fleet, it said.
The locomotives have been built by Dalian Locomotive and Rolling Stock, part of the CNR Group, at a cost of approximately $75 million.
The government commitment to funding the 20 new locomotives and further investment in additional rolling stock over the next three years would enable considerable efficiency and capacity gains on key freight routes, KiwiRail said.
The age and limited fleet size of locomotives and wagons presented a major challenge to growth in the freight business.
KiwiRail currently owns 149 mainline locomotives, and much of its diesel fleet is now considered underpowered and outmoded by today's standards. The oldest dated back to 1965.
06th June 2011
|
|
