PKP class EP09

PKP class EP09

EP09-010 locomotive in Warsaw

Type and origin Power type Electric Builder Pafawag Build date 1986–1997 Total produced 47

Specifications Configuration: ​  • UIC Bo′Bo′ Gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge Wheel diameter 1,250 mm (49.21 in) Length 16,740 mm (54 ft 11 in) Width 2,974 mm (9 ft 9 in) Height 4,300 mm (14 ft 1 in) Axle load 20 t (20 long tons; 22 short tons) Loco weight 83.5 t (82.2 long tons; 92.0 short tons) Electric system(s) 3000 V DC Catenary Current source Pantograph Traction motors 4 x LKa740, 73:38 gear ratio Loco brake Oerlikon Contraves+Dynamic Safety systems SHP

Performance figures Maximum speed 160 km/h (99 mph) Power output 2,920 kW (3,916 hp)

Career Operators PKP Nicknames Dziewiątka (The Nine) Epoka (The Era) First run May 29, 1988

PKP class EP09 is a Polish electric locomotive used by the Polish railways, Polskie Koleje Państwowe (PKP) and produced by Pafawag of Wrocław between 1986 and 1997.

Work on designing new family of Polish locomotives, able to pull trains with speeds higher than 125 km/h, started in the 1970s. Of those plans only one was finally realised, which resulted in construction of EP09 locomotives. In the beginning of the 1980s the CMK line (rail trunk line) was suited for passenger transport. Before that time it had been used exclusively for freight transport. At first EU05 and EP05 locomotives were used to service this line, but Polish railways needed faster locomotives, reaching 160 km/h. The machine was designed in Ośrodek Badawczo-Rozwojowy Pojazdów Szynowych (Rolling Stock Research and Development Centre) in Poznań. The prototype was ready in 1986, built in Pafawag in Wrocław. The machine was intended to be built with western parts, but severe financial restrictions caused many modern solutions to be abandoned. Co-operation with USSR gave little effect as well. Additionally, after the collapse of Eastern Bloc Poland was forced to use old EP07 solutions in later series of EP09.

It is impossible to find two identical locomotives of this class, as the design changed after each machine was completed. The First EP09 locomotive was presented in 1986, the next one in 1987. On May 29, 1988, according to the new timetable, those two locomotives started regular service. In 2005 EP09's livery was revised and unveiled. The locomotives are being repainted in during scheduled servicing. All the locomotives produced, except for EP09-035(which was involved in the Szczekociny rail crash) are still fully operational, and are deployed in the locomotive depots in Kraków and Warsaw. 12 units work in Kraków Prokocim depot, the rest are assigned to Warsaw. Besides running on the CMK line, those locomotives can be spotted on Warsaw-Poznań-Szczecin, Warsaw-Poznań-Wrocław, Warsaw-Lublin and Warsaw-Kielce lines. EP09 series proved itself to be highly defective, e.g. in 1996 PKP was forced to replace 10 traction motors and 24 bogies. In the same time serious breakdowns of compressors were noted. In the end of 2000 EP09 were temporally sent to Gdańsk. This was done in order to accustom engineers with this type of locomotive before rising top speed on Warsaw-Gdańsk line.