Production of KiwiRail trains on hold
Updated at 12:08 pm 30/07/12
Radio New Zealand
Production of a second group of locomotives is on hold as a Chinese manufacturer tries to eliminate serious problems KiwiRail has had with its first order from the firm.
A KiwiRail document obtained by the Labour Party reveals a large list of issues the 20 locomotives have experienced since coming into service in the past two years.
The DL locomotives were bought from CNR Dalian Locomotive and Rolling Stock Company for $75 million.
Since they were introduced into service there have been various problems with the control system, traction motor, water pipes, exciter base, vibration, silencer, compressor auxiliary, basin pump, adhesion and with other equipment.
The trains are currently failing about twice as often as other locomotives in the fleet.
KiwiRail chief executive Jim Quinn says problems are part of the commissioning process and repairs will be completed by September.
"Every locomotive we've had over the years has had commissioning issues," he says.
He says the DL locomotives are the first of their kind, and takes a while to bed them in.
Another 20 locomotives, purchased for $62 million, were due to begin arriving this year, but Mr Quinn says production is on hold while they make sure the prototype is exactly right.
Each locomotive will spend one to three weeks in the workshop under the rectification programme. Eighteen staff from manufacturer CNR are in Hamilton assisting KiwiRail.
Rail and Maritime Transport Union general secretary Wayne Butson says the level of failures and problems is unprecedented and goes well beyond commissioning issues.
He says KiwiRail has admitted to the union it does not have any records from past commissioning processes to refer to, so it is misleading for it to say the Chinese locomotives are on a par with other locomotives.
Labour Party leader David Shearer says the decision to go for the cheapest option could prove expensive in the long run.
KiwiRail says it is happy with the quality of the locomotives and there will be fewer commissioning issues with the second generation.
The state-owned enterprise says it has not lost any revenue due to the problems, and parts and labour are also covered under warranty.
Production of Chinese KiwiRail locos on hold
Diesel and Electric motive power and operations in Australia and New Zealand.
- John Ashworth
- Site Admin
- Posts: 23606
- Joined: 24 Jan 2007, 14:38
- Location: Nairobi, Kenya
- Contact:
Return to “Australia/New Zealand - Modern Motive Power”
Jump to
- YOUR FIRST TIME HERE? QUESTIONS ON THE FORUM? PLEASE READ....
- ↳ Using the Forums
- ↳ What You Can Get Out Of The Forum!!!!
- ↳ This Forum - Frequently Asked Questions
- ↳ FOTR Forum Help
- ↳ Testing How To Do Posts...
- FRIENDS OF THE RAIL - PUBLIC TRAIN TRIPS YOU CAN TAKE!
- ↳ FOTR Train Trips - Destinations, Schedules and Other News
- ↳ Cullinan Venues
- ↳ Corporate Venues and Packages
- ↳ Your Feedback on Trips and Venues
- ↳ Your Trip Pictures
- FRIENDS OF THE RAIL - NEWS, INFORMATION (INCLUDING OUR NEWSLETTER) AND WEBSITE/FORUM FEEDBACK
- ↳ FOTR - Announcements and News
- ↳ FOTR - 3117 15F Accident and Appeal
- ↳ FOTR - Newsletter !!!!
- ↳ FOTR - Website and Forum Feedback - Your Suggestions and Questions !
- FRIENDS OF THE RAIL PHOTO GALLERY (Requires Registration)
- ↳ FOTR Picture of the Month
- ↳ FOTR Trips and Events
- ↳ FOTR - Very Special Occasions !
- ↳ 15F 3117 - Inaugural Passenger Train - 16 December 2008
- ↳ 15F 3117 - First Steaming - 14 October 2008
- ↳ Hermanstad - first passenger train - 27 July 2008
- ↳ Hermanstad - 1st steam train to new site - 16 March 2008
- ↳ Farewell To John.....
- ↳ John's Wedding !
- ↳ 21st Anniversary of FOTR
- ↳ FOTR Steam and Miscellaneous Engines
- ↳ FOTR - Steam Engine 15F 3117
- ↳ FOTR - Steam Engine 19D 2650
- ↳ FOTR - Steam Engine 24 3664
- ↳ FOTR - Steam Engine 15CA 2850
- ↳ FOTR - Steam Engine 15F 3094
- ↳ FOTR - Steam Engine 8D 1223
- ↳ FOTR - Steam Fireless Locomotives
- ↳ FOTR - Funkey Diesel Locomotive
- ↳ FOTR - Electric Motor Coach
- ↳ FOTR - Steam Engines GMAM Garratts 4135 and 4148
- ↳ FOTR - Steam Engine 15F 3052
- ↳ FOTR Rolling Stock
- ↳ FOTR Miscellaneous Equipment
- ↳ FOTR - The New Hermanstad Site
- ↳ FOTR Capital Park
- ↳ FOTR People
- ↳ Railway Operations - ask a question about how railways work..
- ↳ Railway Research
- ↳ Railways at War
- SOUTHERN AFRICAN MOTIVE POWER MOVEMENTS (Requires Registration)
- ↳ Main Line Motive Power
- ↳ Industrial Motive Power
- SOUTH AFRICAN RAILWAYS (Requires Registration)
- ↳ South Africa - Motive Power
- ↳ South Africa - Diesel Motive Power
- ↳ South Africa - Electric Motive Power
- ↳ South Africa - Steam Motive Power
- ↳ South Africa - Rapid Transit Systems (Gautrain & Metro)
- ↳ South Africa - Industrial Motive Power
- ↳ South Africa - Coaches, Rolling Stock & Miscellaneous Vehicles
- ↳ South Africa - Stations, Signals and Infrastructure
- ↳ South Africa - General Railway News and Discussion (except for Heritage News)
- ↳ South Africa - Heritage Railway News and Discussion
- ↳ South Africa - Plinthed/Heritage Locomotives and Rolling Stock
- ↳ South Africa - South African Railways Abroad
- ↳ South Africa - Photo Gallery - POST YOUR PICTURES HERE!
- ↳ South Africa - Diesel Motive Power
- ↳ South Africa - Electric Motive Power
- ↳ South Africa - Rapid Transit Systems
- ↳ Gautrain
- ↳ Metro Rail Systems
- ↳ South Africa - Coaches, Rolling Stock & Miscellaneous Vehicles
- ↳ South Africa - Steam and Heritage Railways
- ↳ SAR/SAS/Spoornet/TFR
- ↳ Atlantic Rail
- ↳ Sisonke Stimela (Ingwe Municipality)
- ↳ Oosterlijn
- ↳ Outeniqua Choo-tjoe
- ↳ Paton County Railway
- ↳ Reefsteamers
- ↳ ROVOS Rail
- ↳ Sandstone
- ↳ Umgeni
- ↳ SANRASM
- ↳ Plinthed Locos
- ↳ Other Steam Sites
- ↳ South Africa - Stations, Signals, Infrastructure and Miscellaneous
- ↳ South African Railways Abroad
- ↳ The Charles Lewis Series - Comments and discussion
- ↳ The Charles Lewis Series - The Pictures
- WORLD RAILWAYS - REST OF AFRICA (Requires Registration)
- ↳ Rest of Africa - Modern Motive Power
- ↳ Rest of Africa - Steam Motive Power
- ↳ Rest of Africa - Other Railway Topics
- ↳ Rest of Africa - Photo Gallery
- ↳ Kenya - Photo Gallery
- ↳ Kenya - Diesel Motive Power - Photo Gallery
- ↳ Kenya - Steam Motive Power - Photo Gallery
- ↳ Kenya - Coaches, Rolling Stock & Miscellaneous Vehicles - Photo Gallery
- ↳ Kenya - Stations, Signals, Infrastructure and Miscellaneous - Photo Gallery
- ↳ Sudan and South Sudan - Photo Gallery
- ↳ Zimbabwe and Zambia - Photo Gallery
- ↳ Eritrea - Photo Gallery
- ↳ Uganda - Photo Gallery
- ↳ UR/EAR/EARH Historic Photo Gallery
- ↳ Mocambique, Angola - Photo Gallery
- ↳ Other African Countries - Photo Gallery
- WORLD RAILWAYS - EUROPE (Requires Registration)
- ↳ Europe - Modern Motive Power
- ↳ Europe - Steam Motive Power
- ↳ Europe - Other Railway Topics
- ↳ Europe - Photo Gallery
- ↳ U.K. & Ireland - Photo Gallery
- ↳ Scandinavia - Photo Gallery
- ↳ France - Photo Gallery
- ↳ Switzerland - Photo Gallery
- ↳ Netherlands - Photo Gallery
- ↳ Germany - Photo Gallery
- ↳ Spain & Portugal - Photo Gallery
- ↳ Rest of Europe - Photo Gallery
- WORLD RAILWAYS - AMERICAS (Requires Registration)
- ↳ North/Central/South America - Modern Motive Power
- ↳ North/Central/South America - Steam Motive Power
- ↳ North/Central/South America - Other Railway Topics
- ↳ North/Central/South America - Photo Gallery
- WORLD RAILWAYS - ASIA AND MIDDLE EAST (Requires Registration)
- ↳ Asia and Middle East - Modern Motive Power
- ↳ Asia and Middle East - Steam Motive Power
- ↳ Asia and Middle East - Other Railway Topics
- ↳ Asia and Middle East - Photo Gallery
- WORLD RAILWAYS - AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND (Requires Registration)
- ↳ Australia/New Zealand - Modern Motive Power
- ↳ Australia/New Zealand - Steam Motive Power
- ↳ Australia/New Zealand - Other Railway Topics
- ↳ Australia/New Zealand - Photo Gallery
- PHOTOGRAPHING TRAINS AND RAILWAYS (Requires Registration)
- ↳ Photography - Still Photography
- ↳ Photography - Video Photography.
- ↳ FOTR - Train Spotting and Photo Shoot Possibilities
- OTHER RAILWAY THINGS FOR RAILFANS (Requires Registration)
- ↳ Train Tales
- ↳ Jokes and Assorted Humour
- ↳ Book/Magazine News
- ↳ DVD News
- ↳ Film News
- ↳ Railworks (ex Kuju Rail Simulator)
- ↳ Model Trains
- ↳ N Scale Entire Bedroom Layout
- ↳ MTE Model Railway Layout Build #1 - HO European Layout.
- ↳ N Scale Garage Layout Build
- ↳ OO/HO African profile model railway in Kenya
- ↳ Miniature Railway Engineering
- ↳ Websites
- ↳ Micromodels
- ↳ Microsoft Train Simulator.
- ↳ MSTS News, Views and Anything Else!
- ↳ MSTS News With A South African Flavour.....
- ↳ Microsoft train Simulator 2 (deceased!)
- ↳ Other Railway Software
- POLLS (Requires Registration)
- ↳ Polls
- OTHER THINGS THAT RUN WITH STEAM! (requires Registration)
- ↳ Other Steam Devices and Mechanical Machines and Objects!
- LOCKER ROOM (Requires Registration)
- ↳ Locker Room