Ghana railways 1301–1306 and 1307–1312 series are Ghanaian diesel-electric multiple units manufactured by CRRC Tangshan in China for Ghana Railway Company in Ghana, they are designed for shuttle service between Accra and Tema on the Achimota–Tema branchline.
In 2008, GRC ordered two diesel multiple units from China CNR Corporation's Tangshan plant for 23 million dollars to replace locomotive-hauled trains, they were built in 2009 and were shipped from the Chinese port of Tianjin. Both multiple units entered service in October 2010. In July 2022, the multiple units ceased operation due to the railway line being suspended temporarily for rehabilitation works.
Design The diesel multiple unit is formed of 6 cars (2 being motor cars of Bo'Bo' axle arrangement and 4 being trailer cars), the model of a motor car is TWD161 and the model of a trailer car is TWD162. Each motor car is provided with a driver's cab, a control room, a power room, a cooling room and a passenger saloon, and each trailer car is provided with semi-cushioned seats, movable windows, automatic sliding-plug doors and end doors.
The multiple unit adopts an AC-DC-AC electric transmission, with each unit compromising traction converters from Vossloh Kiepe, traction motors and gear boxes from Voith, and the diesel engine from CAT. Traction bogies with solid wheelsets, air-spring bolsters, rubber axle box guides, axle hung traction motors and hollow shaft drive gear box structures are mounted on the underbody of each car, and traction converters are mounted beneath underframes of each motor car. A diesel engine and a generator are installed in the power room of each motor car, featuring a transmission mode of "one of two". A total capacity of a fuel tank is approximately 750 liters and the power output of each diesel engine is 618 kW (828 horsepower) at 1800 rpm. The maximum design speed of the multiple unit is while the maximum operational speed is .
The total weight of the multiple unit is ( for the motor car, and for the trailer car), the axle load is . It is long and wide, the wheel diameter is wide ( for worn out). The car body is a carbon steel structure.
The key techniques used on the multiple unit includes: a microcomputer control technique performance matching technique for traction power system stabilizing technique for traction control system applied technique of AC drive mode development techniques for power performance and track adaptability of traction and trailing bogies anticorrosion and coating techniques
Accidents and incidents On 23 October 2017, at around 7:30 am, 1301–1306 series multiple unit at Alajo in Accra derailed off the tracks, the cause of the derailment remained unknown. 3 passengers sustained minor injuries.
References
External links Ghana Railways 1301–1306/1307–1312 series specifications - CCCME