EU44 / E183 and E189

E183 601 (Siemens 21314/2008), still with German designations but in the PKP InterCity livery; Warszawa Wschodnia station, March 19, 2010.

E183 604 (Siemens 21663/2009), photographed at exactly the same place on April 29, 2010.

Four more pictures, taken on the same day. E189 455 (Siemens 21507/2009) from the PKP Przewozy Regionalne fleet, Warszawa Wschodnia station…

...E189 153 (Siemens 21643/2010), one of five ‘EuroSprinters’ leased by PKP InterCity, departing from this station…

…E189 454 (Siemens 21504/2009), another one from PKP Przewozy Regionalne, waiting at the station’s entry…

…and yet another one, E189 458 (Siemens 21516/2009), at the Olszynka Grochowska depot.

Two ‘EuroSprinters’, photographed at the Warszawa Wschodnia station on July 9, 2010: 537 0009…

…and E183 605-5.

First attempt to modernize the fleet of PKP electric locomotives, undertaken in late 1990s, proved unsuccessful: EU11s and EU43s, ordered from Pafawag, were finally sold to Italy. After Polish state railways were split into several companies, each of them has pursued its own procurement policy. PKP InterCity was the last to order new locomotives and the choice fell on the ES64 type from Siemens AG.

History of this type can be traced back to 1992, when prototype of a new electric locomotive was completed. It was designated ES64P: ES stood for ‘EuroSprinter’, the commercial name of the entire family, 64 was related to the rated power (6 400 kW) and P indicated prototype. After service tests with DB (class 127), during which ES64P attained 310 km/h, production started in 1996 and still continues. First orders were for a freight versions ES64F (15 kV, 16 2/3 Hz – 170 examples for DB, class 152) and ES64F4 (four-system – 100 examples for DB, class 189, and twelve for SBB, class Re474). The most important sub-type, however, is the ES64U universal locomotive. It was initially ordered by Austrian ÖBB as classes 1016 (ES64U), 1116 (ES64U2) and 1216 (ES64U4) and nicknamed ‘Taurus’ – this name was later adopted for the entire type. As with the freight variants, last digit indicates the number of voltage systems. Externally ‘Taurus’ can be distinguished from earlier freight versions by more streamlined body and different front wall. ES64Us were ordered by Austria (ÖBB), Germany (DB), Hungary (MÁV and GySEV) and Slovenia (SŽ), as well as by several private railways and leasing companies. Locomotives built for individual customers differ in many details, which is indicated by additional letters and digits in type designation. Until now (March 2010) 526 examples have been built, the majority (382) going to ÖBB. In September 2006 Austrian 1216 050-5 set up a new locomotive speed record, attaining 357 km/h between Nuremberg and Ingolstadt; it is worth mentioning here that this record had not been broken since 1955! In production locomotives maximum speed was initially limited to 200 km/h by control system settings; later, with deliveries of new passenger cars, this limit was increased to 230 km/h.

Decision to purchase ES64U4 for PKP InterCity was taken in August 2008 and the first ‘Taurus’ (s/n 21314/2008) arrived in November. Polish version is designated ES64U4B2. Second example (21319/2008) arrived in May 2009. After tests they were formally accepted by PKP in October 2009, to be followed by further two in January 2010 and two in March . At the time of writing (July 2010) these are still on lease from a German company and operated with temporary German service numbers 183 601 through 606, but class designation EU44 has been reserved for them and is already commonly used. Six more have been scheduled to arrive in 2010; currently four are in use, but these were purchased directly by PKP InterCity and are operated with UIC numbers 537 0007 through 0010. They have been given a semi-official nickname ‘Husarz’ (hussar). First line service of these locomotives was with the Berlin-Warsaw express trains.

ES64U4 was in fact preceded on Polish tracks by E189s (type ES64F4) from MRCE Dispolok. First locomotive of this type to appear in Poland in 2007 was E189-911, which was used by CTL Logistics and later re-numbered E189-201 (s/n 20980/2004). Two more followed soon, plus two for ITL Polska. PKP Przewozy Regionalne acquired nine, later supplemented by one ES64F4 from ITL. Finally, PKP InterCity leased five ES64F4s in April 2010, pending the arrival of their ES64U4s. Pretty complicated, but in the leasing era the question of property is not as simple to answer as it used to be.

‘EuroSprinter’ is currently the most powerful and fastest locomotive in Poland, but its performance can be fully exploited only on a few lines. This, however, shall probably improve with track upgrading expected in near future. Further purchases of these locomotives are very likely.

Main technical data

No.	Parameter	Unit	Value
1.	Years of manufacture	-	since 1992
2.	Total built / used in Poland	-	270^7) + 526^4) / 18^7) + 10^4)
3.	Axle arrangement	-	Bo’Bo’
4.	Control	-	multiplied
5.	Design maximum speed	km/h	230 / 160^6)
6.	Traction motors (number X type)	-	4
7.	Voltage	V	3kV DC / 1.5 kV DC 15 kV 16 2/3 Hz / 25 kV 50 Hz /
8.	One-hour rating	kW/hp
9.	Continuous rating	kW/hp	6 400 / 8 705^1) 6 000 / 8 160^2) 4 200 / 5 710^3)
10.	Electric current at one-hour rating	A
11.	Electric current at continuous rating	A
12.	Rotational speed at one-hour rating	rpm
13.	Rotational speed at continuous rating	rpm
14.	Engine suspension	-
15.	Reduction gear ratio	-
16.	Diameter of drivers	mm	1 150
17.	Total weight	kg	87 000^4) / 86 000^5)
18.	Axle load	T	21.75^4) / 21.5^5)
19.	Axle base	mm	12 900
20.	Overall length	mm	19 580^4) / 19 280^5)
21.	Maximum width	mm	3 019
22.	Brake type	-

1) AC.

2) 3 kV DC.

3) 1.5 kV DC.

4) Type ES64U4.

5) Types ES64U and ES64U2.

6) Speed limit in Poland.

7) Type ES64F4.

References and acknowledgments

- Monographic article by Paweł Terczyński (SK vol. 1/2010);

- http://inforail.pl, www.kolejowaklatka.org, www.railfaneurope.net.

- Seweryn Dębski (private communication).