The first plug-in hybrid locomotive manufactured in Romania was presented on Thursday, February 22, in the train station in Constanta.

The locomotive was built under a project coordinated by local company Romania Euroest, with funds from the state budget. The total value of the project amounts to about RON 3.6 million (EUR 774,000), according to local Mediafax.

The project involved the transformation of a classic Diesel locomotive into a hybrid one. The plug-in hybrid locomotive can reach a maximum speed of 30 km per hour and has an autonomy 8-12 hours. It can be charged in less than three hours, according to project manager Corneliu Dica.

Euroest representatives said that such a locomotive would be able to perform maneuver operations on industrial lines, or in depots or stations with intense maneuvering activity or without the possibility of charging the batteries from an external source. They also argued that over 10,000 Diesel engines with an average age of more than 36 years need to be replaced in Europe by 2025 due to the high levels of pollution.

Irina Marica, irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(photo source: Static Model Railroad 1:87 on Facebook)