During a ceremony held at Warszawa Wschodnia railway station on June 9, 2016 , Newag S.A. officially handed over to Freightliner PL the first out of five DRAGON locomotives. These are cutting-edge, 6-axle electric locomotives equipped with an additional diesel engine for operations on non-electrified end lines, and at sidings. What is crucial, these locomotives were fully designed and manufactured in Poland. The contract was signed in January 2015. The transaction is financed by ING Lease (Poland).
During the official ceremony, the first DRAGON locomotive was christened with the name of Ernest Malinowski – an outstanding Polish railway engineer, the constructor of the Central Trans-Andean Railway in Peru. The figure of Malinowski is the best proof that Poland may be the source of cutting-edge technology. In this respect, DRAGON locomotives resemble Ernest Malinowski. It is the product of Polish engineering solutions which is characterised by the highest parameters of power, efficiency, ergonomics and reliability.
Konstantin Skorik, President of the Board, Freightliner PL:
Investing in modern rolling stock is the only chance to repair the image of railway services, which are often associated with almost ancient, fifty-year old rolling stock, unpredictability and low standard services. From the very beginning of its activities, Freightliner has been implementing a strategy of maximum efficiency based on new and reliable locomotives and rail cars. Our locomotives are on average eight years old. However, we believe that if you are not moving forward, your are going backward. Therefore, we have decided to extend our fleet with DRAGONS — new, six-axle electric locomotives , which have an additional diesel engine. Manufacturing rolling stock may become Polish intelligent specialty but only if Polish railway operators buy Polish rolling stock. This is why we are very proud that we have ordered locomotives designed and manufactured in Poland, thus creating here specialist know-how and workplaces.
Józef Michalik, Deputy President of the Board, Newag S.A.:
I am very proud and honoured today to be able to officially hand over to the management of Freightliner Polska the first out of three already delivered Dragon E6ACTd six-axle locomotives. We are convinced that their reliability and technical readiness (at 99.3 and 99.5 respectively ) will significantly reduce spending on rolling stock reserve.
The six-axle locomotive handed over today is the first of this kind electric locomotive manufactured in Poland equipped with the so-called Dual Power module enabling its operation on non-electrified sidings.
Ewa Łuniewska, President of the Board, ING Lease (Polska):
I am happy that ING Lease has contributed to the development of the Polish railway market. ING has offered innovative products aiming at financing rolling stock for years and we have extensive experience in this area. This transaction, another one contracted with our long-standing partners, namely Newag and Freightliner , perfectly matches our strategy. We focus on building long-term relationships and provide financing adjusted to our Clients’ expectations. We are able to finance innovative, unique products, supporting the development of transportation in Poland. I am convinced that we can count on years of further fruitful collaboration.