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Alstom unveils the Prima II prototype, its new generation locomotive

Alstom unveiled the Prima II locomotive prototype on Wednesday 3 June. It will be transferred from the Belfort centre of excellence (France) in June to Wildenrath in Germany for a series of running trials. The locomotive will then move into the certification phase and is scheduled to be commissioned in 2011, in time to take advantage of the anticipated pick-up in freight and passenger traffic. The new Prima II locomotive can operate perfectly between the different national rail networks, and offers operators the possibility of adjusting its configuration during its lifetime. From the outset, the Prima II design has focused on ease of use and maintenance by public and private operators.

Developed using equity capital, the locomotive combines simplicity of manufacture with the standardization of main equipment. The Prima II retains great modularity to meet increasingly specific customer requirements. Equipped with the latest developments in power electronics (IGBT inverter), it can operate on four different voltages (25 kV, 15 kV, 1,500 V and 3,000 V) and thus easily cross borders in Europe. On these voltages, and depending on the configuration selected by the customer (goods or passenger transport), the locomotive has a power output of 6.4 MW and runs at speeds of 140 to 200 km/h. The buffers on the frame absorb the energy of impacts, ensuring the safety of onboard personnel and equipment.

As well as integrating the TrainTracer onboard diagnostic system, Alstom Transport provides its customers with operations-related services, from spare parts to the complete maintenance of a fleet. Particular attention has been paid to the cab interior to improve driver comfort including noise insulation and air conditioning. Driving ergonomics are optimized to meet the future UIC612 standard, which aims to standardize drivers’ desks for improved interoperability.

With its new design, the Prima II is immediately identifiable as a train from the Alstom Transport range. Like all the company’s prototypes - and especially the AGV - its livery is metallic grey and dark blue. Designed and assembled at the Belfort site, a Centre of excellence for locomotives, the Prima II has also benefited from the expertise of other Alstom Transport sites in France (Le Creusot, Ornans, Tarbes, and Villeurbanne) and Belgium (Charleroi). Even before the prototype was delivered, 20 Prima II locomotives were ordered by Morocco's Office National des Chemins de Fer (ONCF) in November 2007, where they are intended for use in freight and passenger transport operations. Delivery is scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2009.

03 June 2009