Alstom unveils the Prima II prototype, its new generation
locomotive

Alstom unveiled the Prima II locomotive prototype on
Wednesday 3 June. It will be transferred from the Belfort
centre of excellence (France) in June to Wildenrath in Germany
for a series of running trials. The locomotive will then move
into the certification phase and is scheduled to be
commissioned in 2011, in time to take advantage of the
anticipated pick-up in freight and passenger traffic. The new
Prima II locomotive can operate perfectly between the different
national rail networks, and offers operators the possibility of
adjusting its configuration during its lifetime. From the
outset, the Prima II design has focused on ease of use and
maintenance by public and private operators.



Developed using equity capital, the locomotive combines
simplicity of manufacture with the standardization of main
equipment. The Prima II retains great modularity to meet
increasingly specific customer requirements. Equipped with the
latest developments in power electronics (IGBT inverter), it
can operate on four different voltages (25 kV, 15 kV, 1,500 V
and 3,000 V) and thus easily cross borders in Europe. On these
voltages, and depending on the configuration selected by the
customer (goods or passenger transport), the locomotive has a
power output of 6.4 MW and runs at speeds of 140 to 200 km/h.
The buffers on the frame absorb the energy of impacts, ensuring
the safety of onboard personnel and equipment.



As well as integrating the TrainTracer onboard diagnostic
system, Alstom Transport provides its customers with
operations-related services, from spare parts to the complete
maintenance of a fleet. Particular attention has been paid to
the cab interior to improve driver comfort including noise
insulation and air conditioning. Driving ergonomics are
optimized to meet the future UIC612 standard, which aims to
standardize drivers desks for improved interoperability.



With its new design, the Prima II is immediately identifiable
as a train from the Alstom Transport range. Like all the
companys prototypes - and especially the AGV - its
livery is metallic grey and dark blue. Designed and assembled
at the Belfort site, a Centre of excellence for locomotives,
the Prima II has also benefited from the expertise of other
Alstom Transport sites in France (Le Creusot, Ornans, Tarbes,
and Villeurbanne) and Belgium (Charleroi). Even before the
prototype was delivered, 20 Prima II locomotives were ordered
by Morocco's Office National des Chemins de Fer (ONCF) in
November 2007, where they are intended for use in freight and
passenger transport operations. Delivery is scheduled to begin
in the third quarter of 2009.


About Alstom Transport

A long-time player in the locomotive market, Alstom Transport
has the expertise and industrial weight required to offer
operators a range that is perfectly suited to their needs. In
the past ten years, Alstom has manufactured over 2,000
locomotives at its sites in Belfort, France.



Press contact

Benjamin Wright - Tel. + 33 1 57 06 85 37


benjamin.wright@transport.alstom.com


Prima II corner :
www.prima2.transport.alstom.com