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 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 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.
Deployment
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 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.
Technical data
EP09 is a Bo-Bo electric locomotive working in 3000 V DCelectric system. The box is placed on two bogies. Each bogie has two, separately propelled axles. Crew compartments are located on either side of the box. There are battery box and air tanks mounted between bogies. Traction motors and transmissions are locked inside bogies. Behind each crew compartment the machine compartment is located. High voltage compartment is situated in the middle of the machine. EP09 is the first Polish locomotive to have electro-dynamic brakes. This enables braking the locomotive using the motors configured to work as generators. Other modifications to EP09 machine were e.g. ergonomic dashboard and windscreens equipped with internal heating. Since locomotive number 38the system of suspending locomotive on bogies was changed into Flexicoil and single pantographs were mounted instead of the previously used double ones. Another important change during the production process is installing air conditioning system. At present PKP works on bringing all machines into the same standard as the last two locomotives brought into service in January 1998.
Nicknames
Dziewiątka - after the number in the name
Epoka - after the first two letters of the name
Accidents
On 3 March 2012 the EP09 with number 035 was involved in the Szczekociny rail crash. The locomotive was later scrapped.
