CZ LOKO COMPLETES MODERNIZATION OF FOURTEEN 742 SERIES LOCOMOTIVES FOR ČD

Czech Railways has already returned all 14 locomotives of the 742 series, which were given to CZ LOKO for complete modernisation. This happened practically a year earlier, as the contract worth more than CZK 684 million provided for the completion of the last vehicle only in November 2024.

In record time, the company managed to manage the change of ETCS supplier after Alstom unexpectedly and uncompromisingly discontinued the EBICAB system used in this series. Therefore, CZ LOKO switched to the new AURIGA system from the Spanish manufacturer CAF.

These locomotives will be used by ČD for independent traction operations on corridors equipped with the European Train Control System (ETCS). Under its exclusive supervision, operation on the selected railway network will be ensured from January 2025.

The technologically demanding upgrade of the 742 series to the 743.2 series, for which CZ LOKO uses the trade name EffiShunter 1000M, makes the ČKD locomotives from 1977 to 1988 virtually new first-class machines. They are also equipped with online monitoring and diagnostics and a new generation of traction and auxiliary equipment. Only the chassis and main frame remain original, but even these parts are undergoing a major overhaul and many modifications. The 1000 kW internal combustion engine allows a top speed of 100 km/h.

In the past, CZ LOKO has already succeeded in the same project with ČD Cargo, for which it modernised 50 locomotives of this series between 2018 and 2022, with another 25 to be delivered by the end of 2024. 20 machines are also being modernised for ZS Cargo Slovakia. Other vehicles are owned by the carriers CER, Rail Cargo Carrier or ODOS from Ostrava.