Pacific National recently made a significant investment in its haulage capabilities, commissioning a fleet of 50 new freight locomotives that will be more environmentally friendly. The first of their kind in Australia, the new freight locomotives will have lower emissions and greater fuel efficiency.
Procurement of the new fuel-efficient diesel locomotives supports Pacific National’s strong Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy, notably the upgrade of its fleet over a five-year period.
Once the fleet is fully rolled out, Pacific National’s emissions reduction will equate to 15,000 tonnes each year with a CO2 reduction of 300 tonnes per locomotive each year.
Under a contract valued at $297 million, UGL Limited will design, manufacture, and supply the fleet of new C44 Evolution freight locomotives.
The C44 Evolution locomotives will be among the most technologically advanced, fuel efficient and environmentally compatible diesel locomotives in Australia and will be designed and manufactured in Newcastle, New South Wales.
Pacific National CEO Paul Scurrah said the C44 Evolution Series freight locomotives will form part of the company’s ongoing fleet rejuvenation program providing significant ESG benefits to both Pacific National and its customers.
“This is a key piece of our locomotive fleet strategy and directly aligns with our ESG strategy. It will assist Pacific National with boosting service reliability, reducing emissions and fuel consumption while increasing our ability to respond to the growing demand for future rail freight capacity,” said Mr Scurrah.
The new locomotives feature technology from Wabtec that reduce emissions and fuel consumption, reduce maintenance costs, and increase the reliability of Pacific National’s operations.
“This is an exciting time for Australia’s largest private rail freight company and will mean Pacific National can continue to deliver what matters to our customers with the first of the new locomotives scheduled to be delivered in late 2023,” said Mr Scurrah.
The new locomotives will meet and surpass a number of Australian and global emissions measurements including the stringent USA Tier 3 standards for particulate matter.
Initially the new freight locomotives will be deployed across Pacific National’s intermodal/interstate operations, supporting its planned capacity increase of 25 per cent over the next four years. The new freight locomotives will also operate on the future Inland Rail.
“Along with boosting reliability, this new fleet will enable us to grow and develop our business by meeting our customers’ needs well into the future,” explained Mr Scurrah.
With Pacific National’s strong focus on improving the efficiency of its locomotives and the superior technology on-board, each locomotive will have the capacity to simulate and optimise the locomotive to increase energy efficiency and safety.
