Transnet gets ECP-equipped coal wagons

[John Ashworth]

Knorr-Bremse South Africa Equips 100 New Coal Line Jumbo Wagons With ECP

Knorr-Bremse South Africa (KBSA) will equip 100 newly built Coal Line “jumbo” wagons with state-of-the-art electronically controlled pneumatic (ECP) braking systems, boosting safety and braking efficiency on these heavy-haul trains. The ECP-equipped wagons, which were built by state-owned Transnet Engineering and due to enter service late 2022, comprise 25-wagon rakes of four, making up 200-wagon trains. ECP allows all the brakes throughout the consist to apply or release at the same time and with the same amount of force, resulting in shorter stopping distances and extending the lifespan of components. The system also greatly reduces in-train forces during braking applications compared to conventional airbrake systems in which the braking forces travel down the length of the train at about 300m per second, taking about nine seconds to reach the end of the train...