In a bid to repair South Africa’s rail network and fleet of locomotive trains, Rolls Royce is to power freight trains as part of one of the biggest infrastructure projects in the country’s history.
According to The Daily Telegraph, Rolls Royce has agreed on a US$113 million deal to build 232 engines for Chinese locomotive manufacturer CNR Dalian.
Rolls Royce will supply the project with MTU Series 4000 engines which will be produced in Germany with delivery of the engines scheduled between 2015 and 2017.
An executive for Rolls Royce, Michael Haidinger, said that this represents a breakthrough into the Chinese market, saying: “Winning this order signals our breakthrough into the market for Chinese freight locomotives, which are being exported in ever larger quantities.”
Transporting freight is an escalating issue in the port and logistics sector, as industry professionals work to take the pressure away from the world’s truck traffic by building and making use of existing rail networks.
Rolls Royce traditionally provides engines for aeroplanes and ships and recently announced that it is going to introduce its new ‘Oxbridge’ concept which aims to improve the navigation, safety and usability of cargo vessels.
(Source: Canadian Photo Tours)
