Customer Requirements
Queensland Rail is Australia’s largest provider of rail freight transport for Australia’s coal mining industry and needed to significantly expand its coal haulage capabilities to handle a projected annual increase of 10 per cent to meet growing international demand for coal. The challenge was to upgrade Queensland Rail's existing fleet of locomotives to substantially extend the life of the fleet, deliver significant savings through improved efficiencies and lowered maintenance costs, and support Queensland Rail to meet its projected coal haulage growth targets.
Solution
Siemens partnered with the United Group-Rail to upgrade 63 electric 31/3200 class locomotives to the more powerful 3700 class. The upgraded locomotives will include new electrical and traction control systems and improved structural and bogie design to ensure a minimum design life of 20 years. Increased power, tractive effort and efficiency will mean that just three upgraded locomotives will do the work of five old locomotives, delivering more throughput and reducing transport costs.
Benefits
Our solutions enabled:
- Increased locomotive performance
- High locomotive availability and mission reliability
- Reduced maintenance costs
- Increased safety and functionality
- Reduced environmental impact