TWO BRAND NEW bi-mode locomotives passed through Bromsgrove on Tuesday afternoon while heading to their new home after recently arriving in the country, writes Neil Gordon.
The class 99 dual-mode electro-diesel locomotives were being transferred from Bristol to a depot in Leicester where they will be based.
The locomotives, numbers 99001 and 99002, were being hauled by class 66, number 66307, as they headed through Bromsgrove at 4.10pm today (Tuesday).
The state-of-the-art locomotives are set to transform the future of UK rail freight transportation by providing economic and environmental benefits, operating on both electrified and non-electrified lines, allowing for the replacement of diesel only motive power.
The new class can operate solely on electric or renewable fuels such as HVO – hydrotreated vegetable oil, significantly reducing carbon emissions.
A total of 30 class 93 locomotives are being built by Stadler Rail in Valencia, Spain, on behalf of owners Beacon Rail for operator GBRf, with the remaining locomotives set to arrive in the country during 2025 and next year.
The locomotives 99001 and 99002 were delivered to Bristol Port by ship last week and will now undergo testing and commissioning at their new Leicester base, before entering commercial service later this year.
