Alstom’s Shunting Loco Prima H3 Receives Final Homologation from EBA

April 5, 2017
Alstom’s hybrid shunting locomotive Prima H3 has been delivered homologation certificate to operate at up to 100 km/h in Germany, opening the way to mainline operations.

Alstom’s hybrid shunting locomotive Prima H3 has been delivered homologation certificate to operate at up to 100 km/h in Germany, opening the way to mainline operations. The certificate has been granted by the German Federal Railway Authority (EBA) The Prima H3 is the only three-axle shunting locomotive to reach this maximum speed and can therefore be easily integrated into regular rail traffic. 

“We are very pleased with this important milestone as it offers greater flexibility to our customers. The intelligent concept of our environmental-friendly and space-saving locomotive allows efficient shunting on tracks with tight curves as well as fast service on mainlines," said Didier Pfleger, vice president of Alstom Germany and Austria. 

The Prima H3 hybrid locomotives are now used by various customers: Volkswagen, Deutsche Bahn, Audi, InfraLeuna, Mitteldeutsche Eisenbahn Gesellschaft (MEG) and Chemion. 

A year ago, Alstom received an order from DAL  for the supply of four Prima H3 hybrid locomotives. DAL is going to lease all four vehicles to Chemion Logistik GmbH. The vehicles will be used at the Chempark sites of Leverkusen, Dormagen and Krefeld-Uerdingen. Now the locomotives from this order have been handed over, bringing the total number of Prima H3 in operation to 19.  

The Prima H3 locomotive consumes 50 percent less fuel than conventional shunting locomotives. Moreover, its new technology helps to reduce exhaust emission (nitrogen dioxide) by up to 70 percent. Developed for future emission standards, the 350 kW diesel generator complies with emission standard stage IIIB. The Prima H3 spends 50 to 75 percent of its operating time in battery mode, thus making emission-free rail transport possible, e.g. in city centers or production halls. The Prima H3 is developed and manufactured in Germany.