Overview
Improve fleet availability, efficient scheduling and operational costs
The Challenge
Locomotive reliability is essential, and locomotive batteries are under more strain than ever before. A failed start is detrimental to operations and costly to manage.
Lack of locomotive availability has a major impact on the railroads. It disrupts locomotive scheduling, causes unexpected personnel reallocation and requires shop time for battery replacement. Further, replacement locomotive availability is an issue, and equipment for assisted re-starts is required, all resulting in downtime and more dollars spent on replacement batteries.
The Solution
The ZTR KickStart uses supercapacitor technology to supplement locomotive batteries during engine start. Lower power demand, longer battery life and reduced voltage drop during starting creates a significant reduction in dead-won’t-start (DWS) issues.
The Results
- Zero DWS to date
- Hundreds installed
- Used by more than 70% of Class 1s
- Applications on most diesel-electric locomotives (old or new)
- Use in both passenger and freight
- Improvements in starting reliability on both low and high horsepower fleets
Partnering with ZTR has been a game-changer for our operations. Their innovative solutions have significantly improved our fleet efficiency and reduced costs. We couldn’t ask for a better technology partner.
Global Rail Solutions
