Technological progress has made rail freight more sustainable and competitive. With this in mind, Renfe Mercancías is undertaking its system decarbonisation, digitalisation and improvement project, to which 122.7 million euros have been allocated. Almost one third of this amount, 37.3 million, will be financed using Next Generation funds .
This investment will be used to purchase platforms and carriages as well as electric locomotives with a large towing capacity, powered by 100% renewable electrical energy. Noise reduction systems will also be installed in carriages and ERTMS safety systems installed in locomotives in addition to the deployment of new technologies for the identification and traceability of rolling stock.
Against this backdrop, 149 carriages with bogies compatible with Iberian and standard widths will be acquired, in a tender spanning two lots.
The first includes 74 60-inch SGNSS container carriages that must be manufactured for a maximum axle load of 22.5 tonnes and a maximum travel speed of 100 km/h, prepared for the use of Automatic Digital Coupling.
The second will consist of 75 SDGGMRSS semi-trailer carriages, for a maximum load of 22.5 tonnes per axle and a maximum travel speed of 100 km/h
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Renfe's Board of Directors has awarded the construction and maintenance of 12 high-power and standard-gauge electric locomotives, over a period of 15 years, to Stadler Rail. The value of the award comes to a total of 136.7 million euros that will be partially financed by the European Union, which has approved a grant for this project of 15 million euros as part of the Next Generation Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan.
Renfe expects to allocate the contracted locomotives to the Mediterranean Corridor, where the railway infrastructure manager, ADIF, is in the process of installing the UIC standard gauge across the General Interest Railway Network (RFIG), increasing the maximum length of freight trains to 750 metres.
These high-power locomotives will provide Renfe Mercancías with new growth opportunities as it will be able to increase national and international traffic, having a positive impact on the company's activity
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