#5567
South African Class 15E
🇿🇦 South Africa ·built by Union Carriage & Wagon· from 2009· class of 76 South African electric locomotives
2 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. Class 15E 15-056: Col André Kritzinger· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2. Class 15E 15-006: Col André Kritzinger· CC BY-SA 3.0
what is it?
The Transnet Freight Rail Class 15E of 2010 is a South African electric locomotive. In 2010, Transnet Freight Rail placed the first of seventy-six Class 15E heavy electric freight locomotives with a Co-Co wheel arrangement in service on the Sishen–Saldanha iron ore export line.
who runs it
base stats
Bars compare against all trains: 600 km/h (maglev), 1,700 seats; power, weight and number built on a log scale up to 20 MW, 1,000 t and 20,000 built.
fun facts
- First built 17 years ago, in 2009.
- 4.5 MW is about 53 family cars (~85 kW each) flat out.
- Weighs about as much as 30 African elephants (~6 t each).
electric locomotive: Draws power from overhead wires or a third rail and pulls separate carriages.
spec sheet
- built
- 2009–2013
- in service from
- 2010
- number built
- 76
- kind
- Electric
- traction
- electric
- origin
- 🇿🇦 South Africa
- builders
- Union Carriage & Wagon
- designer
- Mitsui
- operators
- Transnet Freight Rail
- top speed
- 90 km/h
- power
- 4.5 MW
- gauge
- 1,067 mm Cape gauge
- electric system
- 50 kV AC 50 Hz (27.5-55 kV), Controls: 110 V DC (77-121 V) catenary
- wheel arrangement
- Co'Co'
- weight
- 180 t
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q7565470, Wikipedia: South African Class 15E (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.