Griffin Deliveries Complete

On 27 November 2020, Newag delivered to PKP Intercity the last two Griffins, EU160-029 and 030. They form part of a batch of ten ordered in September 2019, being an option of the basic order for 20 Class EU160 locomotives ordered by PKP Intercity in May 2018. They were delivered by June 2020.

PKP IC’s 160 km/h Class EU160 (Newag’s Type E4DCU) Griffins are single-voltage, intended for domestic services only, have a Bo’Bo’ axle arrangement, a length of 19,900 mm over buffers, and are rated at 5,100 kW. EU160-001 to 030 are based at Warszawa-Olszynka Grochowska depot.

With this contract PKP IC acquired new electric locomotives after about ten years since the delivery of ten Type ES64U4 (Class EU44) Eurosprinters between 2009 and 2010. As the new Griffins are only designed for the 3 kV DC voltage, the EU44 Husarz machines still remain the only PKP IC’s electric locomotives that can haul long distance passenger services between Poland and Germany without a locomotive change on the border.

Therefore in December 2019, PKP IC announced a tender for 10 new multiple-voltage locomotives with a max. speed of 200 km/h, incl. provision of maintenance by the supplier for a period of five years. The purchase for which the operator does not consider the use of EU funds includes an option for five locomotives. The new machines are to be suitable for operation also in Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria and Hungary.

The evaluation criteria for selection are set out in the following order: 45 % purchase price, 35 % maintenance costs, 7 % length of vehicle warranty, 6 % for less than three locomotive faults per 250,000 km, 4 % operational availability at least 95 % and finally 3 % for technical reliability of at least 95 %. The deadline for submission of bids was initially set for 28 January 2020.

However, the whole process was significantly delayed. Now PKP IC informed us that „the bid opening date has been postponed at the request of a potential bidder. The new date is 1 March 2021.“

Following the acquisition of new locomotives, PKP IC will be able to eliminate situations like in the last quarter of 2019, when due to accidents at level crossings etc. it has had a shortage of Husarzes and was forced to rent multiple-voltage locomotives from various sources, such as Vectrons by LokoTrain (Czech Republic) or ZSSK CARGO. The strategy for the development of the PKP IC fleet envisages the purchase of a total of 118 electric and diesel locomotives by 2023.