Freightliner's first Class 66 locomotive with ETCS

On 20 June 2024, Freightliner has agreed to a partnership with Siemens Mobility to retrofit its First-in-Class (FiC) locomotive - 66591 - with ETCS OBU. As owner and operator of 66591, Freightliner is innovating by completing the fitment in house as a first for the industry. Due to the working knowledge held by the internal team on the subtle differences between core and variant vehicles, Freightliner will bring the knowledge, skills and experience to make the fitment process streamlined.

This is one of the first of hundreds of freight locomotives that will be fitted with the technology, many of which will be required to deliver ‘no signals’ operations through the East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP), which forms the foundation for the progressive roll out of digital signalling on the rail network.

This is the first time on the programme that the operator will independently install ETCS components on its own locomotive. The Class 66V locomotive 66591 will be fitted by Freightliner’s own personnel at the Leeds Midland Road Vehicle Maintenance Facility. To guarantee success, the fitment team will receive continuous support from Freightliner’s ERTMS Engineers and the Siemens Mobility team, who have worked together on the design and installation processes. The fitment work is started in June.

The Class 66V is a variant of the core Class 66 fleet. Variations to the Class 66 locomotive have evolved as the design matured over many years. Internally, subtle differences have developed with wiring, bracketry and item position. Variations impact locomotive usage with certain variants being more equipped for the movement of wagons versus containers.