Electric locomotive
Electric locomotive Škoda ChS4-109. The Moscow — Odessa train in Vinnytsia railway station. The Siemens ES64U4, is the current confirmed holder as the fastest electric locomotive at 357 km/h (222 mph) in 2006. An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or on-board energy storage such as a battery or a supercapacitor. Electric locomotives with on-board fueled prime movers, such as diesel engines or gas turbines, are classed as diesel-electric or gas turbine-electric and not as electric locomotives, because the electric generator/motor combination serves only as a power transmission system. Electric locomotives benefit from the high efficiency of electric motors, often above 90% (not including the inefficiency of generating the electricity). Additional efficiency can be gained from regenerative braking, which allows kinetic energy to be recovered during braking to put power back on the line. Newer electric locomotives ...