MTR KTT

The TLN 001 (Through train Locomotive North ) or TLS 002 (Through train Locomotive South ) are two electric locomotives for the Kowloon -Canton Railways Corporation ( KCRC ) in Hong Kong.

Prehistory

Once it was the Swiss consortium SLM / ABB succeeded with the SBB Re 460 and BLS Re 465 to develop extremely modern locomotives, it won the 1997 tender for two new, identical high-performance locomotives. Externally they differ from their conspecifics, the Re 460, Re the 465, the NSB El 18 and the VR series Sr2 in total length: 18500 mm Instead, they have 18696 mm because they are equipped with automatic couplers. They are designed for a speed of 160 km / h and were procured for use together with a single double deck between Kowloon, Hong Kong and Guangzhou. Originally it was planned to use the locomotives during the night before camp style container trains.

Delivery

The schedule was very crowded, because the job had to be completed before Hong Kong was handed over to China. On 10 and 11 April 1997, they were able to leave the production facility in Zurich - Oerlikon. They were on the same day dragged by a SBB Re 4 /4 II and SBB Ae 6/6 to Basel. The TLN and TLS include automatic couplers that are not compatible with the couplings of the SBB locomotives. Therefore, they were not mitgebremst in tow, and the speed was allowed to 80 km / h do not exceed. In the port of Birsfelden the vehicles were loaded onto a container ship. It was transported on the Rhine to Rotterdam. From there they were transported on a sea ship through the New Waterway and then on the sea to Hong Kong. The transport took about a month.

Use

The locomotives are used exclusively with Kinki Sharyo 12 (Japan) delivered double-decker cars as Ktt ( KCRC Through Train), with a locomotive in front and the other behind working on train. The luxurious train holds 1268 passengers in two classes of cars ( two cars Premium Class with seat assembly 2 1 and ten chariots, First Class with seat assembly 2 2 ), serving exclusively the high-quality commuter service between Kowloon ( Station Hung Hom ) and Guangzhou (East ) without stop along the way.