page_title: New Zealand DL class locomotive
section_title: Operations
hierarchical_section_title: New Zealand DL class locomotive / Service / Operations
caption_attribution_description: Pokeno,South Auckland.New Zealand
context_page_description: The New Zealand DL class of diesel-electric locomotives was manufactured for KiwiRail by CRRC Dalian with engines from MTU. They are the most powerful diesel-electric locomotives in service in New Zealand.
  In 2009, an order for 20 locomotives was placed, a further 20 were ordered in 2011. A third batch of eight was ordered in September 2013. A fourth order for an additional 15 was placed by KiwiRail in 2016, to replace the EF class electric locomotives on the North Island Main Trunk.
  The DLs were the first new build diesel-electric mainline locomotives on New Zealand's rail network since the DF class was introduced in 1979. The order marked one of the first steps of considerable investment in KiwiRail, and the first order for a Chinese-built locomotive from a western country.
context_section_description: The locomotives were initially deployed into service on the upper North Island Main Trunk, the ECMT and the Mission Bush, Kinleith, Murupara and Mt Maunganui branches, operating both KiwiRail general freight services and service operated by KiwiRail on behalf of the Port of Tauranga's MetroPort operation. In some cases these replaced services previously operated by two locomotives in multiple, also eliminating the need to turn the locomotives, though it has been noted that they are regularly turned anyway.
  In 2012 KiwiRail undertook testing of a DL locomotive along the lower North Island main and branch lines. Following the introduction of the second batch DL locomotives were introduced to operations along the Marton - New Plymouth Line - including the milk trains to Fonterra's Whareroa complex near Hawera - and the Palmerston North - Gisborne Line, the latter as far as the current operating terminus in Napier.
  The introduction of the DL class has allowed KiwiRail to transfer all of the DX class locomotives to the South Island.
caption: DL9302 hauling a freight train between Pokeno and Tuakau, 4 June 2014.
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