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[SA / Expert] Afro 4000 in Traxtion design in the operation [updated/video]
Written by Lubomir Cech on 10.08.2021 in Stadler Rail, Stadler Rail Euro4000 Swifambo/Prasa, Stadler Rail Euro4000 TraxtionHave you ever wondered, where did the blue Prasa Afro 4000 locomotives made by Stadler Rail ended? Well, since 2019, six of them have a new owner: a South African rolling stock company named Traxtion.
This article was first published on 30.06.2021 and updated on 10.08.2021.
“Too tall” and out of service since 2015; Thirteen Valencia-made Afro 4000 locomotives were auctioned in 2019. The result? Six of them found a new owner in Pretoria-based Traxtion, rolling stock leasing company and a freight operator.
Traxtion offers locomotives and crews to railway operators, mining companies, and other industries. It owns 55 locomotives, GE-built C30s are the most numerous.
New purpose
In the autumn of 2020, the Afro 4000s arrived at Traxtion’s maintenance and repair facility in Rosslyn, where they were serviced and repainted. The locomotives then became rather invisible and it was speculated that they could be used on the almost 2,000 km long Tazara (Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority) line between Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and New Kapiri Mposhi near Lusaka in Zambia.Now Afro 4000s in orange appear in a picture by Unitrans, on an intermodal train. Unitrans promotes the rail link between Maputo Port in Mozambique and the major Zimbabwean trade hubs in Harare, Bulawayo, and Gweru.
Traxtion company is also hoping for early opening of their domestic, South African market, to enable competition with state-owned Transnet.
Update 10.08.2021:
Traxtion has confirmed the deployment of Afro 4000 locomotives on the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) line. Deployed in double-traction, these locomotives are used for containerized copper to the port of Dar-es-Salaam. By the beginning of August, 360 runs were completed on this line and the deployment of Stadler-made locomotives will improve the length and speed of these trains.
Traxtion Afro 4000 © Traxtion
- Related news: Seven Afro 4000 were recently seen at Sagunt Port (near to Stadler Valencia). On 25.07.2021 there were seven: 4014-4020;
[SA / Expert] Afro 4000 in Traxtion design in the operation [updated/video] - Railcolor News
Have you ever wondered, where did the blue Prasa Afro 4000 locomotives made by Stadler Rail ended? Well, since 2019, six of them have a new owner: a South African […]