Positive Traction has received an order from Heidelberg Materials for a Class 08e locomotive.
The company has provided donor locomotive 08296 from their fleet for conversion into an 08e at Positive Traction’s Chesterfield Works.
It is expected that the locomotive will be completed and delivered in the summer this year and follows on from successful trials at Whatley Quarry in Somerset in October 2024.
In the conversion, the locomotive will have its carbon-based diesel power source replaced with six upgraded (compared to the test) battery pods to give a total of 600kWh of energy, allowing for the locomotive to complete a full shift of constant activity under a heavy load.
The shunter will have a redesigned and improved traction and auxiliary units.

“Our order for a battery powered 08e shunter is part of Heidelberg’ Materials’ 2030 commitment to reduce scope 3 emissions in delivery transport by 15 per cent from our 2019 baseline and to be fully carbon neutral by 2050.
“We were enormously impressed by the trial of the prototype 08e easily mastering 1,000-tonne aggregate trains on what is a steep and challenging internal quarry network in places. By offering a donor vehicle for conversion by the Positive Traction team we can capitalise on our existing assets and secure the long-term future of these powerful shunting locomotives in a sustainable way.”
Vincent Pitt, Area General Manager at Heidelberg Material’s UK
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