‘Green’ Malaysian-made locomotives roll to Tanzania

 

SMH Rail’s H10 Series locomotives have been recognised by the Malaysian Book of Records as the ‘First Made in Malaysia Locomotive’ for the export market. (SMH Rail pic)

PETALING JAYA: The first “Made in Malaysia” locomotive for the export market has been revealed – and the first batch is on track for Tanzania.

Built by SMH Rail Sdn Bhd, the H10 Series locomotives are built with advanced technology to reduce emissions.

With a tag line of “Towards Green Mobility”, SMH Rail said the H10 Series locomotives provide an intrinsic value to the environment and railway ecosystem as well as innovation in design engineering that will fuel green operations.

PK Nara, chairman and managing director of SMH Rail, said the company was committed to building innovative solutions in the global railway industry in terms of cost, efficiency and reliability.

“The first batch of locomotives in this series will be delivered to Tanzania Railways Corporation who have placed the order based on funding support from the World Bank. I am confident that these locomotives will bring enormous economic benefits to the African rail cargo industry.

“The locomotives are efficient in bridging connectivity, increasing supply-chain access, accelerating industrialisation and promoting cross-border trade.

“With more than 60% of its content locally manufactured in Malaysia, the ‘H10 Series’ marks a cornerstone achievement of our company in the global rail industry,” he said.

“The H10 series not only showcases Malaysia’s expertise in the rolling stock market but also earned recognition in the Malaysian Book of Records as the ‘First Made in Malaysia Locomotive’ for the export market,” the company said in a statement.

SMH Rail said these locomotives could potentially replace 100 cargo trucks, reduce carbon emissions by up to 75%, lower highway congestion and are four times more efficient than road freight transport.

It added that the H10 Series’ practical design would also ensure high reliability and availability for improved operational efficiency, increased haulage capacity and reduction of maintenance challenges, resulting in lower overall life cycle costs.

SMH Rail added that one of the main features of the H10 Series is the capability to operate in challenging terrains and weather conditions for combined performance assurance.

The company also said that these locomotives were equipped with remote monitoring and diagnostics solutions to provide real-time updates to rail operators.

“This will allow rail operators to monitor performance remotely including speed, maintenance needs, fuel consumption and fault alerts. It supports data analysis that tracks negligent handling, reduces risks of failures and improves operational safety,” it said.

In a congratulatory message to SMH Rail, former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said he was delighted to see a Malaysian company grow and become successful in its own right as a rolling stock manufacturer in the rail industry.

Mahathir said the fact that the World Bank is funding the project was a testament to SMH Rail’s “capability and professionalism”.

“The award of a project of this size to a Malaysian company shows that our ability is as good, if not better when compared to others. We are capable of doing anything for so long as we put our hearts in it and we work hard,” he said. -FMT