Wabtec reaches 1,000 locomotives built in Brazil as heavy-haul orders grow

The production milestone comes as Wabtec begins manufacturing a new generation of locomotives for Vale's iron ore railways. On 29 October, the same day the 1,000-unit milestone was announced, Vale confirmed the completion of its first eight-axle EVOBBW locomotive for the metre-gauge Vitória a Minas Railway. Five units are due for delivery by the end of 2026. Vale ordered 50 Evolution Series locomotives in 2025, comprising 36 EVOBBW units for Vitória a Minas and 14 six-axle ES58ACi locomotives for the broad-gauge Carajás Railway. The new EVOBBW type is designed to offer more than 50% higher tractive effort than the existing locomotive generation, while reducing fuel consumption by approximately 6%. It can also operate with diesel blends containing up to 25% biodiesel. Wabtec has also signed a USD 254 million agreement with MRS Logística in September 2026, covering new Evolution Series locomotives, spare parts and maintenance services through 2032. The contract reflects continuing investment in diesel-electric traction for Brazil's principal freight corridors. However, Contagem is no longer manufacturing exclusively for the domestic market. Approximately 150 of the 1,000 locomotives have been exported to South America, Africa and Oceania. A recent example is the delivery of 17 CM20ACi dual-cab diesel-electric locomotives to Australia's CBH Group. Built in Contagem for Western Australia's narrow-gauge grain network, the locomotives were exported between December 2025 and May 2026. The plant has also manufactured C23EMP locomotives for Uruguay's Grupo RAS. Contagem originally opened in 1972 as a component repair facility, with local production of heavy-haul AC44 locomotives developing from 2008. Alongside the factory, which employs approximately 600 people, Wabtec opened a Global Engineering Center in late 2025. Its approximately 270 engineers and technical specialists work on locomotive technology and railway systems for Brazilian and international markets.