Following the sale of the 643-037 to an Austrian customer – with the locomotive successfully serving its function at a company in Croatia for more than five years – a purchase deal was arranged with a buyer from Estonia for the same kind of locomotive thanks to the good reference from the previous sale.
For this project, we decided to completely refurbish the 643-027, a diesel locomotive already entered in the European Vehicle Register, which is the requirement for obtaining the vehicle authorisation. The extent of refurbishment work and the purchase details have been agreed with Skinest Railway Serices OU’s branch in Croatia, which requested that the unit be completely refurbished and fitted with the equipment necessary to operate on Croatian rail network. The scope of the major overhaul followed the official description of works for major overhauls with a few extra requests, as follows:
- install the ATS RAS 8385 IS automatic train protection system by Altpro Zagred,
- install GSM-R Mesa 26 DUAL MODE,
- install a screw compressor,
- install LED lights,
- build side covers based on the locomotive repowering system for SŽ,
- do a re-paint in the livery of customer’s choice.
The works have been completed on schedule. The locomotive is mainly used for shunting purposes in the Zagreb area. We entered into a long-term contract with Skinest for locomotive maintenance both on-site and at our workshop in Maribor. Should the locomotive continue to operate reliably during the warranty period, the customer expressed a wish to buy another locomotive of this type.
SŽ – VIT provides comprehensive modernization services for diesel and shunting locomotives. The Balkan region remains one of our key markets for diesel traction maintenance, where we have successfully completed several major refurbishment projects in recent years.
These modernization programmes typically include complete vehicle refurbishment, engine replacement and upgrades of key mechanical and electrical systems. Depending on customer requirements, projects may also involve the replacement or modernization of additional components to improve reliability, performance and operational lifespan.
This article was originally published by SŽ – VIT.
