Wabtec Secures MTR Locomotive Upgrade Contract
Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor
MTR Corporation’s Wabtec-built Mk3 battery-electric locomotives will undergo a performance and service life upgrade. (Wabtec Photograph)
Hong Kong public transport operator MTR Corporation has awarded an approximately $14.9 million (£12 million) contract to Wabtec Corporation for the modernization of 25 Mk3 battery-electric locomotives.
The service life of the locomotives, built by Wabtec in 1996 and 1997, is slated to be extended by more than 15 years, according to the manufacturer.
The project covers:
- Upgrading the locomotives’ existing control electronics; a datalogger that provides comprehensive diagnostic capabilities will be included.
- Upgrading motor alternator control units.
- Replacing battery charger units.
- Designing and building new automatic test equipment “to ensure the newly refurbished electronic racks meet different modes of operation,” according to Wabtec.
Wabtec reported that teams from its United Kingdom and Hong Kong offices are leading the project, currently in the design phase, in collaboration with MTR. The first delivery is planned for 2024.
“This order is a result of an extensive collaboration with MTR to define a project that will maximize the capital investment in the fleet,” Wabtec Group Managing Director and Regional Vice President UK Garry Mowbray said during the May 17 announcement.
“With Wabtec’s extensive knowledge of this particular locomotive, I am confident that the project will be delivered on time and enhance the operational efficiency and performance of MTR locomotives,” said Kim-Hung Lee, acting Chief of Operations Engineering Maintenance at MTR Corporation, which operates 10 railway lines, a light rail network, an airport express link, and high-speed rail service connecting Hong Kong to the mainland of China.
In a related development, MTR earlier this year signed a project agreement with the Hong Kong government for the financing, design, construction, operation and maintenance of the Tung Chung Line Extension (TUE), allowing work on the project to begin.
