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ZF shapes the future of rail mobility ZF shapes the future of rail mobility
RailTechnologies

How ZF shapes the Future of Rail Mobility

Today, ZF serves its rail customers with driveline and chassis products, condition monitoring systems as well as services. For our continued development, our strategic focus is on electrification, digitalization and automation.

Digitalization and software

Efficiency and electrification

Chassis technology

Sustainable repowering

What is a repower?

Repowering means to remove outdated transmissions from existing diesel multiple units replacing them with modern, more cost-effective and economic driveline components. ZF’s Repowering solutions aim at reducing fuel consumption, thus life cycle costs as well as at extending the service life of the rail vehicles.

Repowering can be done with almost all DMU trains.

Why consider a repower?

What are the main advantages?
  • Reduced life cycle costs
    • Lower fuel costs
    • Lower oil consumption
    • Better maintenance intervals (reduced preventive and corrective maintenance)
  • Extended service life of rail vehicles
  • Lower emissions
  • Reduced costs when using the track infrastructure due to lower weight

How does it affect the weight of the vehicle?
  • It reduces the weight of the train and consequential load to suspension components.

In which type of rail vehicles can I do a repower?
  • Repowering can be done with almost all DMU trains, the business case is driven by specific customer targets.
What to consider when planning a repower project?

EcoWorld

ZF's six-speed powershift transmission with integrated reversing function. It is currently supplied to MTU for Irish Rail and Porterbrook Leasing.

EcoLife Rail 2

Powershift transmission. It has not yet been used for repowering projects.

EcoWorld for Repowering project at Irish Rail

On a joint mission to cut emissions

The new EcoWorld six-speed transmission system by ZF is installed into MTU PowerPacks. For a Repower project, Iarnród Éireann Irish Rail, the Republic of Ireland's state railroad, has ordered three of the completely integrated drive systems for their diesel-powered 22000 Class Intercity train. This train has recently entered passenger service.

Project Manager at Iarnród Éireann Irish Rail Stephen Campbell explains: “We hope to achieve fuel savings and thus carbon emissions reductions of 20% compared to the previous version of the drive systems. This is a significant contribution to the Irish Government’s Project Ireland 2040 development plan.“

Repowering project at Irish Rail