In three years from now, the fleet of DB Cargo will be complemented with innovative locomotives of Siemens, Vossloh and Toshiba. Next year alone the German operator receives 150 new locomotives as part of its moderisation efforts.

“DB Cargo locomotives have it good. They cannot age. Components of our powerhouses are continuously replaced on rails at fixed intervals – before anything can break. That’s why our diesel locomotives are also very fit – but not modern”, says Sigrid Nikutta, COO of the company on Linkedin.

“For the foreseeable future, we will need powerhouses that will bring our heavy trains to customers even in marshalling yards, ports or terminals without electrical overhead lines. That will be realised. We will modernise our locomotive fleet and equip it with climate-friendly hybrid technology.”

Siemens and Vossloh

In 2023, DB Cargo expects the arrival of around 150 new two-engine locomotives from Siemens Mobility. These units can distribute the cargo electrically to any location and with low-emission machine power.

What is more, the company has awarded Vossloh Locomotives the contract to build at least 50 heavy hybrid shunting locomotives. “The ingenious thing about the construction principle is that the machines have a modular design. So as technology evolves, we can replace engines and technology relatively easily. So, even these locomotives will never age”, Nikutta says.

Hybrid shunting

“We are doing the same with our third project: From 2024, hybrid shunting locomotives of the Toshiba brand from our DB Cargo plant in Rostock will experience their rollout. It is the first time that we as a freight railway have built our own locomotive from a manufacturer’s kit. This is an exciting project, especially since Toshiba’s state-of-the-art battery technology is also used here”, the COO concludes.