Knorr-Bremse and Finland’s state-owned railroad vehicle maintenance company VR FleetCare, a subsidiary of VR Group, have concluded a lifecycle management contract featuring overhaul and repair service for the braking systems of 46 freight and passenger locomotives.

The single-digit million-euro contract runs until 2028. Until that year, Knorr-Bremse RailServices will be maintaining the brake control and wheel slide protection units of the vehicles’ braking systems.

Safer mobility

“Knorr-Bremse is geared towards helping its clients maximise the availability of their rail vehicle fleet through customised lifecycle management concepts”, says Jürgen Wilder, Member of the Executive Board of Knorr-Bremse AG and responsible for the Rail Vehicle Systems division. “Thereby, we are helping operators to provide even better, safer and more efficient mobility by rail both for passenger and freight transport.”

“For the first time, Knorr-Bremse is supporting a client with one of its new two-pronged carefree packages – covering both refreshment and repair service”, adds Mark Cleobury, Member of the Management Board of Knorr-Bremse Rail Vehicle Systems. “We are delighted to be able to assist VR FleetCare in ensuring the operability of VR Group’s locomotive fleet across the Finnish railroad network.”

Two modules

The service agreement consists of two modules: a refreshment service, i.e. planned overhaul of the brake control and wheel slide protection units, and a repair service, including proactive obsolescence management, i.e. preventive measures to secure the vehicles’ life time should critical parts be discontinued or become out-dated.

After the Sr1 locomotives, the Sr2 series is the second generation of electrically powered locomotives. Operated by VR Group since the mid-1990s and with a 1,524 mm gauge, the Sr2 fleet is used both for passenger and freight transport at top speeds of up to 210 km/h.

Both brake control and wheel slide protection units have been developed and delivered by Knorr-Bremse. However, after reliably running for more than 30 years, the electronic components are increasingly affected by aging effects and obsolescence. Knorr-Bremse will now be assisting VR FleetCare in ensuring the fleet’s operability over their entire lifecycle.