CRRC's Class 461 certified

The Class 461 electro-battery shunting locomotive has received type approval for operation in Hungary and both existing prototypes have been granted an Authorisation to Place on the Market (APS). The relevant approval document (bearing the type designation CRRC CHA1B1) was recorded into the ERA database on 10 October.

This is one of two types of hybrid locomotives from which Rail Cargo Hungaria has acquired two prototypes each from CRRC Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Company (CRRC ZELC), along with the Class 181 mainline Bisons. RCH ordered the shunting locomotive prototypes in September 2019, with an option of up to 20 more. After trials at various test centres, the first of these arrived in Hungary in May 2022.

The "grasshoppers" are being deployed on shunting or mainline operations around Székesfehérvár and at Budapest's Soroksár station. They have covered a total distance of around 40,000 km in test operation. The locomotive has a weight of 72 t and draws traction energy either from the overhead line or from lithium-titanate batteries. RCH reports that the battery-powered locomotive is capable of carrying an 800-tonne train for 85 minutes at a speed of 20 km/h.

This makes it the second locomotive type built directly in China to be approved in an EU country, following the DB Class 1004 in August 2021.

According to RCH information, Bisons have recently started the approval process for ETCS-supervised operation (181 002 was sent to the Velim test centre again in mid-October 2024). RCH also plans to use these locomotives in other countries in South East Europe, specifically mentioning Serbia, North Macedonia and Bulgaria.

The prototypes were acquired in the form of a lease with an option of up to 20 units. RCH is therefore now negotiating the purchase of more.