New Locomotives For South Island Arrive

They're here! Well, a couple of them.

Two new gleaming locomotives that will take our freight to markets and ports around the country have arrived.

The two loco's are the first of an order of several that will replace the ageing DX class trains that have been in service for several decades and at the end of their working lives.

The new DM class locomotives were built by international engineering company Stadler in Spain. Kiwi Rail says these first two DMs are prototypes and will now undergo about six months of testing and commissioning at our Middleton depot before they enter service. The dual-cab locomotives are state-of-the art, fuel efficient and meet EU world-leading emissions standards.

The rest of the consignment will arrive in the coming months. It's not yet known when we'll see them doing the business on our railway tracks in the south.

Here's Kiwi Rail Project Engineer - Future Rolling Stock Phil Hopkins telling us all about the new locomotives.