Brazilian logistics operator MRS Logística has signed an agreement with Wabtec Corporation for the supply of 30 new ES44ACi Evolution Series locomotives.

The value of the agreement is approximately R$500 million and the first deliveries are scheduled for later this year.

MRS Logística and Wabtec have had a working relationship for almost 30 years, and this latest order, which forms part of MRS’s railway fleet renewal strategy, reinforces the relationship between the two companies.

Wabtec’s ES44ACi locomotives have 12-cylinder Evolution Series 4,500 hp diesel engines and are turbocharged for greater energy efficiency and lower emissions, using a design that combines thermal efficiency with a double intake air cooling system.

The new locomotives produce less emissions than its predecessor, the AC4400. High-strength materials significantly increase intervals between diesel engine overhauls, thereby reducing operating costs throughout the locomotive’s lifecycle.

MRS manages a 1,643 km railway network in the states of Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, which account for around half of Brazil‘s GDP.

The company’s railway network connects mineral and agricultural-producing regions with some of Brazil’s main industrial parks and the largest ports in the Southeast region.

The company’s traffic is a diversified operation, including containers, steel, cement, bauxite, agricultural, coke, coal, and iron ore. The company’s trains transport approximately 20% of Brazil’s exports and about a third of all Brazil’s freight traffic passes travels over MRS tracks.

Guilherme Segalla de Mello, president of MRS Logística, said that the fleet renewal is crucial for the company to improve efficiency and safety. “By using a modern fleet of locomotives, we promote better energy efficiency in rail transport and contribute to improving our country’s logistics.

“The railway is already a more sustainable mode of transportation. Even so, we are making every effort to have the lowest possible gas emissions in our operations, thus contributing to sustainable development. This order is aligned with the regulatory commitments assumed by MRS with the Federal Government, in combined efforts between the public and private sectors. It generates more efficiency for the intermodal transportation and promotes the railway industry.”

“These cutting-edge ES44ACi locomotives offer high performance and greater reliability, as well as reduced CO2 emissions,” says Danilo Miyasato, president and regional leader of Wabtec Latin America. “This long-term contract highlights our vision of a greener railway network for Brazil.”