Founded in 1922, Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD), Inc. is one of two US-based original equipment manufacturers of diesel-electric locomotives. The company is the only diesel-electric locomotive manufacturer to have produced more than 70,000 engines and has the largest installed base of diesel-electric locomotives in both North America and internationally. Over the past decade, EMD has made a considerable impact in Europe in particular. Its Class 66 freight locomotive has rapidly become the product of choice for European freight operators and is notably said to have transformed the reliability of the British freight fleet, enabling the gains in volume seen there over the past ten years. Mr. Michael Ricci, International Marketing Communications Manager, explains how they’re planning to further strengthen their European business. Mr. Ricci says that the success of Class 66 in Britain has certainly helped the company win orders across Europe. The Class 66 has been continually updated for improved fuel efficiency, exhaust emissions, crew comfort and noise and today complies with TSI Noise and also conforms to EU Stage IIIA exhaust emissions levels while at the same time providing superior fuel efficiency. Dieselelectric locomotives like the Class 66 provide more flexibility than electric locomotives as they can operate on both electrified and non-electrified rail lines. The biggest competitive advantage of the Class 66 however, says Mr. Ricci, is that the locomotive was built to be powerful, and exceptionally reliable, and it’s those qualities that appeal to the European market. The Class 66 now operates in eleven countries in Europe, with EMD European customers receiving extensive after sales support through Electro-Motive Services International Ltd., its aftermarket sales and services operation. In the most recent news on EMD’s European business, the company announced that the latest version of its Class 66 locomotive has achieved French certification approval for tracks down to Demoux Group 2. Such permission is usually granted only to much lighter locomotives. EMD is now delivering the homologated locomotives as part of a 60-unit order for the French railway operator Euro Cargo Rail. Euro Cargo Rail will use its new Class 66 locomotives for cross-border operations between France, Belgium and Germany. The locomotives are equipped with the required safety systems and radios for all three countries and provide automatic switching from one country to the other when crossing borders. This enables Euro Cargo Rail to perform seamless international freight operations. “Getting the Class 66 to have multi-safety systems for border crossing in Europe has been a key priority for us,” adds Mr. Ricci. “It hasn’t been easy as each country in Europe has different rules, not just for safety but also in terms of power systems, and we aim to accommodate all of them. Ultimately the aim is to have the Class 66 travel across Europe efficiently, providing railways with a single locomotive certified throughout Europe that can be operated across borders without the need to change locomotives.” The Class 66 is also homologated for use in Romania, Sweden, Norway, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, the Netherlands, France and Poland, and the certification for the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic for the Class 66 is currently underway. top - home