Wabtec, SimFer unveil first Simandou locomotive
Marhowra (Bihar), May 27 (UNI) Wabtec Corporation and Rio Tinto SimFer on Tuesday unveiled the first Evolution Series ES43ACi locomotive built for the landmark Simandou high-grade iron ore project in Guinea, marking a significant milestone in one of Africa's largest mining and infrastructure ventures.
The unveiling ceremony, held at Wabtec's manufacturing facility in Marhowra, witnessed participation from delegations representing the governments of India, Guinea and the United States, as well as senior executives from Rio Tinto SimFer, Indian Railways and Wabtec.
The locomotive, part of a 2024 order under SimFer's rolling stock procurement plan, will serve the TransGuinéen Railway, a 600-km multi-use corridor that will link the mineral-rich Simandou range in southeast Guinea to a port in the Forécariah prefecture. Donning the distinctive blue and turquoise livery of La Compagnie de TransGuinéen, the operator of the Simandou Railway, the locomotive represents the first and largest heavy-haul export order from Wabtec's Marhowra facility.
'This locomotive symbolizes a major step in our strategy to connect the Simandou project to the world, while bringing opportunities to the people of Guinea,' said Charles Zimmermann, Global Head of Projects for Rio Tinto. 'It is critical for transporting the high-grade iron ore to global markets and reflects Wabtec's important role in this transformative project.'
Wabtec's ES43ACi locomotive features a 4,500-horsepower Evolution Series diesel engine developed in the United States. Engineered for efficiency and performance in high-temperature environments, the locomotive is tailored to the operational demands of heavy-haul mining in Guinea.
Speaking on the occasion, Mpilo Dlamini, Regional Vice President, Sub-Saharan Africa, Wabtec, said: 'This unveiling is a tribute to a global team that designed and built a locomotive specifically for the Simandou project. These locomotives will not only enable the efficient export of critical minerals but also catalyse socio-economic development along the infrastructure corridor.'
A joint venture between the Government of Guinea, Rio Tinto and Chalco Iron Ore Holdings (CIOH), SimFer aims to tap into an estimated 1.5 billion tonnes of world-class iron ore reserves in the Simandou range. The integrated mine-rail-port development is expected to significantly boost Guinea's GDP and regional connectivity.
The ceremony also underlined India's growing role in global infrastructure supply chains, with Marhowra emerging as a key manufacturing hub for high-performance rail technology.
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