advertisement
advertisement
We’d like to give you a closer look at the Griffin E4MSUa for PKP IC testing in Germany. After all, a Polish-built electric locomotive in Germany is still quite the exotic view.
- Remarkable: In February, Newag E4MSUa-002/EU200-002 also traveled to Germany, on its way for a quick test in Buchs (in Switzerland!).
This rarity may not be for long though, as PKP IC intends to have these locomotives homologated for use in Germany, as well as Czechia, Austria, Slovakia, and Hungary. The mainstay of PKP’s international services is still leased Vectron MS locomotives, as well as the EU44 ‘Husarz’ series. The latter is however just a small fleet of 10 locomotives which furthermore has suffered from low availability, due do various crashes.
PKP IC e4MSUa-002 and PKP IC e4MSUa-015 were recently seen conducting pantograph tests near Lutherstadt Wittenberg (DE), as well as being seen in Augsburg. International tests had already commenced in 2025, with test runs near Vác, Hungary.
Railcolor note: It is interesting to see a non-German operator trying to get ‘foreign’-built multi-system locomotives approved in Germany. The Spanish Talgo, who has state-operator Deutsche Bahn on its side, is currently also in the process of getting its Class 105 approved. Whilst, for example, French/Czech/etc. locomotives have been approved in the past , this is still considered a rarity in Germany. We are eager to see how this will play out in the end.
advertisement
About the Griffin series
The Griffin is Newag’s latest electric locomotive platform, available in both single-system (3 kV DC) and multi-system (3 kV DC / 15 kV AC / 25 kV AC) variants. Depending on the version, maximum speeds range from 160 km/h to 200 km/h (E4MSUa). During approval runs in Poland, the Griffin reached a test speed of 240 km/h.
PKP IC’s confidence in the program seems clear, as on top of the original 15 unit order from 2021, 63 more were ordered in 2023.
