Class 4700 are a series of medium power electric

locomotives A locomotive is a rail vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. Traditionally, locomotives pulled trains from the front. However, push–pull operation has become common, and in the pursuit for longer and heavier freight train ...

built by

Siemens Siemens AG ( ) is a German multinational technology conglomerate. It is focused on industrial automation, building automation, rail transport and health technology. Siemens is the largest engineering company in Europe, and holds the positi ...

for

Comboios de Portugal CP — Comboios de Portugal, EPE (; ) is a state-owned company which operates passenger trains in Portugal. Prior to June 2009, CP stood for Caminhos de Ferro Portugueses (English: ''Portuguese Railways'') although the company has been using it ...

, the state owned railway company of

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

. They were built to replace the CP Class 2550 locomotives dating from the early 1960s. Siemens were the natural choice for the original order for 15 machines, placed in 2006, as they built the older Class 5600 locomotives in the 1990s. An option for 10 further locomotives was provided for, and this was taken up in 2007, with delivery following on from the original batch.

EuroSprinter family

The 4700 locomotives are part of the

EuroSprinter The EuroSprinter family of electric locomotives is a modular concept of locomotives for the European market built by Siemens Mobility. The internal Siemens product name is ES 64, with ES for EuroSprinter and the number 64 indicating the 6,400 ...

family of modular locomotives built by Siemens for European railway companies. These 4700 kW engines are a downgraded version of the ES64U4 (4700 kW). These engines belong to the last EuroSprinter generation, featuring safer cabs.

Cab design

The machines feature a new cab design, meeting the latest EU safety directives in crashworthiness, a design which was continued with the Class 18 locomotives built for the Belgian state railway company. The new

Siemens Vectron The Vectron is a locomotive series made by Siemens Mobility, introduced at the 2010 InnoTrans trade fair in four prototype versions: diesel, multi-system, and both AC and DC electric power. The diesel version has been replaced in 2018 by a du ...

also use this successful cab.

References

{{Rolling stock of Portugal Electric locomotives of Portugal Railway locomotives introduced in 2007 Siemens locomotives Bo′Bo′ electric locomotives 25 kV AC locomotives 5 ft 6 in gauge locomotives