IORE
Encyclopedia
Iore, often stylized IORE, is a class of 26 electric
locomotive
s built by Adtranz
and its successor Bombardier Transportation
for the Swedish mining company LKAB
's railway division Malmtrafik
. The class is a variation of Adtranz's Octeon modular product platform, thus related to Bombardier's later TRAXX
platform. The locomotives haul iron ore freight train
s on the Iron Ore Line and Ofoten Line in Sweden and Norway, respectively. The 8600 tonnes (8,464.2 LT) 68-car trains are hauled by two single-ended Co′Co′ locomotives, each with a power output of 5400 kW. Each operates with 600 kilonewtons (600,000 N) tractive effort
and have a maximum speed of 80 kilometres per hour (49.7 mph). Delivery of the first series of 18 locomotives was made from 2000 to 2004, and they replaced some of the aging Dm3
and El 15
units. In 2007, eight more vehicles were ordered, with production to be completed by 2011.
, Svappavaara
and Malmberget
in Sweden to Luleå
on the Baltic Sea
in Sweden and to Narvik
on the Norwegian Sea
in Norway. Historically, these lines were operated by the Norwegian State Railways (NSB) in Norway and the Swedish State Railways (SJ) in Sweden, but in 1996 the operations, but not the infrastructure, were transferred to the new company Malmtrafik i Kiruna (MTAB), a joint venture
between LKAB, NSB and SJ, and its Norwegian subsidiary Malmtrafikk (MTAS). At the time, the line was using El 15 and Dm3 locomotives.
In 1998, LKAB estimated a steady 35% increase in iron ore production until 2005, and requested that the governments grant sufficient funding to upgrade the lines from 25 tonnes (24.6 LT) to 30 tonnes (29.5 LT) maximum permitted axle load. Combined with new locomotives, this would give increased efficiency in hauling the ore from the mines. The upgrade was estimated to cost 180 million Norwegian krone
(NOK) for the Ofoten Line alone.
In March 1998, LKAB awarded the contract to build 750 new 100-tonne hopper car
s to Transnet
of South Africa. In August, an agreement was reached whereby LKAB would pay NOK 100 million of the NOK 130 million needed to upgrade the Ofoten Line. The contract to deliver 18 locomotives was signed with Adtranz Switzerland on 15 September 1998. In 1999, LKAB bought SJ's and NSB's share in MTAB.
The first two sections were delivered by Adtranz in August 2000, and was subjected to intensive tests before the manufacture of the rest of the series. Commissioning concluded in December 2000, the locomotive started regular service on 10 January 2001, and started operation with the new hopper cars and 30 tonnes (29.5 LT) axle load on 7 March 2001. In May 2001, Bombardier Transportation took over Adtranz. Bombardier delivered the rest of the Iore series from 2002 to 2005. In March 2004, LKAB decided not to purchase additional hopper cars from Transnet, and instead purchased 750 heavier cars from K-Industrier. Since 1969, the ore trains have been using the Soviet SA3 coupler
. However, LKAB decided that these were not sufficiently strong for the new trains and decided that the Iore locomotives and the new hopper cars were to be delivered with Janney coupler
s (also known as AAR coupler). While the first pair of locomotives had Janney couplers, the rest of the first batch were equipped with SA3 couplers to handle the existing hopper cars, and later retrofitted with Janney couplers. In 2004, the El 15 locomotives were sold to Hector Rail
.
On 23 August 2007, LKAB ordered another four twin units, with delivery in 2010 and 2011, and costing €52 million. These will replace all remaining Dm3 locomotives by 2011, and LKAB convert all the ore trains to 68 cars. This will increase the capacity from 28 to 33 million tonnes per year, and at the same time reduce the number of departures per day from 21 to 15.
at the time. Adtranz and later Bombardier Transportation conducted the final assembly of the locomotives at Kassel, Germany. When Bombardier Transportation introduced the brand name TRAXX for its updated modular locomotive platform, the type designation TRAXX H80 AC was applicable to the Iore class, however, it was excluded from the TRAXX family by the time of the second batch order in 2007. The manufacturer has also referred to the locomotive type as the Bombardier Kiruna.
Each Iore consists of two identical sections with one driver's cab at each. They normally operate in fixed units of two, making a pair capable of hauling a 8600 tonnes (8,464.2 LT) ore train. Technically an Iore section is also capable to operate as single locomotive, an option that is seldom used in operation. The units are fed with via a pantograph
. The power is transformed and then converted via a single water-cooled gate turn-off (GTO) thyristor
based converter per bogie. The converters belong to the Camilla family, which was developed by ABB's Swiss branch as successor for its oil-cooled converters, and found previous use in the FS Class E464
. The converters operate independently, with their own cooling and control systems and are shut down automatically in case of failure. The converters consist of seven line-replaceable unit
modules to minimize maintenance costs. Each locomotive has six three-phase asynchronous alternating current traction motors, each rated at 900 kW and each powering a single axle
. This gives a Co′Co′ wheel arrangement. The tractive effort of each locomotive is 600 kilonewtons (600,000 N) and the maximum dynamic braking effort is 375 kilonewtons (375,000 N). There is also a boost function, allowing a temporary traction effort of 700 kilonewtons (700,000 N). The units are capable of 80 kilometres per hour (50 mph) in single runs, 70 kilometres per hour (43 mph) with empty trains and 60 kilometres per hour (37 mph) with loaded trains.
The locomotives are 22.905 metre long, 4.465 metre tall and 2.95 metre wide. The distance between the bogie centers is 12.89 metre and the bogie wheel-base is 1.92 metre. The wheel diameter is 1.25 metre when new and 1.15 metre when worn. Each locomotive weighs 180 tonnes (177.2 LT), of which 38 tonnes (37.4 LT) is electrical equipment. Each locomotive has 30 tonnes (29.5 LT) of dead weight to increase the locomotive's weight to the maximum axle weight, and further weight increase has been achieved by making the walls 4 centimetres (1.6 in) wide with armored steel. The extra wall thickness also provides for increased structural strength, to withstand collisions with snowdrift
s and elk
s. The sides of the walls were built as flat as possible to reduce the sticking of blowing snow
and ice formation.
The auxiliary system is powered via a separate transformer winding feeding three independent insulated gate bipolar transistor
(IGBT) converters each providing a three-phase 400 volt system. The locomotive is designed with an open system architecture that can be adapted later. Diagnostic information is available to the driver and can be sent to the control center via GSM-R
. The locomotive has a large and bright cab with space for up to three people. The second series of locomotives have an improved driver's chair, which has been retrofitted on the older trains. The machine room has a center hallway. All high-current equipment is located behind a door which can only be opened with a special key. This key is locked in such a way that it cannot be accessed without grounding the locomotive, and similarly the locomotive cannot be ungrounded again until the key is back in place.
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LKAB operates iron ore mines in Kiruna, Svappavaara and Malmberget in Norrbotten County
, Sweden. Most of the output is transported by rail to the ice-free Port of Narvik, a route named the Northern Circuit. A minority of the ore is transported to Luleå on the Southern Circuit. Located on the Baltic Sea, ore is shipped to Baltic customers, or delivered to furnaces operated by SSAB
in Luleå and Oxelösund
. The Iron Ore and Ofoten Lines are 536 kilometres (333.1 mi) long, including the branch to Svappavaara, with the route from Kiruna to Narvik being 170 kilometres (105.6 mi), and from Malmberget to Luleå being 220 kilometres (136.7 mi). Operations are handled by LKAB's subsidiary Malmtrafik i Kiruna (MTAB) in Sweden, and Malmtrafikk (MTAS) in Norway. As of 2010, six pairs of the first batch Iore locomotives operate 11 to 13 trains daily in each direction on the Northern Circuit, and the remaining three pairs of the first batch operate five to six trains on the Southern Circuit. The four pairs of second-batch locomotives will replace Dm3 locomotives on the Northern Circuit by 2011.
The trains hauled by Iore are 68 cars long and weigh 8600 tonnes (8,464.2 LT). From Riksgränsen on the national border to the Port of Narvik, the trains use only a fifth of the power they regenerate. The regenerated energy is sufficient to power the empty trains back up to the national border. Although the trains and hopper cars are all owned by LKAB, the line is owned by the Swedish Transport Administration and the Norwegian National Rail Administration. The Iore Ore and Ofoten Lines are also used by passenger and container trains.
Electric locomotive
An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or an on-board energy storage device...
locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
s built by Adtranz
Adtranz
ABB Daimler-Benz Transportation , commonly known under its brand Adtranz, was a multi-national rail transport equipment manufacturer with facilities concentrated in Europe and the USA....
and its successor Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....
for the Swedish mining company LKAB
LKAB
LKAB is a Swedish mining company. The company mines iron ore at Kiruna and at Malmberget in northern Sweden. The company was established in 1890, and has been 100% state-owned since the 1950s...
's railway division Malmtrafik
Malmtrafik
Malmtrafik i Kiruna AB or MTAB is a Swedish railway company which operates the iron ore freight trains on the Ore Line and the Ofoten Line. MTAB is a wholly owned subsidiary of the mining company Luossavaara–Kiirunavaara . In Norway, operations are handled by the subsidiary Malmtrafikk AS...
. The class is a variation of Adtranz's Octeon modular product platform, thus related to Bombardier's later TRAXX
TRAXX
Bombardier TRAXX is a modular product platform of electric and Diesel-electric mainline locomotives built by Bombardier Transportation, built in both freight and passenger variants...
platform. The locomotives haul iron ore freight train
Freight train
A freight train or goods train is a group of freight cars or goods wagons hauled by one or more locomotives on a railway, ultimately transporting cargo between two points as part of the logistics chain...
s on the Iron Ore Line and Ofoten Line in Sweden and Norway, respectively. The 8600 tonnes (8,464.2 LT) 68-car trains are hauled by two single-ended Co′Co′ locomotives, each with a power output of 5400 kW. Each operates with 600 kilonewtons (600,000 N) tractive effort
Tractive effort
As used in mechanical engineering, the term tractive force is the pulling or pushing force exerted by a vehicle on another vehicle or object. The term tractive effort is synonymous with tractive force, and is often used in railway engineering to describe the pulling or pushing capability of a...
and have a maximum speed of 80 kilometres per hour (49.7 mph). Delivery of the first series of 18 locomotives was made from 2000 to 2004, and they replaced some of the aging Dm3
SJ Dm3
Dm and Dm3 is a series of locomotives used by Statens Järnvägar and later Malmtafik i Kiruna for pulling iron ore trains on Malmbanan in Sweden and Ofotbanen in Norway. A total of 39 double-locomotives were delivered between 1953 and 1971, built by ASEA. A further 19 center locomotives were...
and El 15
NSB El 15
NSB El 15 is a class of electric locomotives which are now operated by the Swedish company Hector Rail as Class 161 locomotives. The locomotives were originally built for the Norwegian State Railways in 1967 to replace the NSB El 3 and NSB El 4 engines on Ofotbanen...
units. In 2007, eight more vehicles were ordered, with production to be completed by 2011.
History
The Ofoten Line and the Iron Ore Line are two railroad lines which were built to allow iron ore to be hauled from the LKAB's mines in KirunaKiruna
Kiruna is the northernmost city in Sweden, situated in Lapland province, with 18,154 inhabitants in 2005. It is the seat of Kiruna Municipality Kiruna (Northern Sami: Giron, Finnish: Kiiruna) is the northernmost city in Sweden, situated in Lapland province, with 18,154 inhabitants in 2005. It is...
, Svappavaara
Svappavaara
Svappavaara is a locality situated in Kiruna Municipality, Norrbotten County, Sweden with 394 inhabitants in 2005. It is a mining village and the mine was closed in 1983, but enrichment of iron ore from the mine at Kiruna is still going on...
and Malmberget
Malmberget
Malmberget is a locality and mining town situated in Gällivare Municipality, Norrbotten County, Sweden with 6,017 inhabitants in 2005. It is situated 5 kilometres from the municipal seat Gällivare....
in Sweden to Luleå
Luleå
- Transportation :Local buses are run by .A passenger train service is available from Luleå Centralstation on Sweden's national SJ railway service northbound to Narvik on the Norwegian coast, or southbound to Stockholm. See Rail transport in Sweden....
on the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
in Sweden and to Narvik
Narvik
is the third largest city and municipality in Nordland county, Norway by population. Narvik is located on the shores of the Narvik Fjord . The municipality is part of the Ofoten traditional region of North Norway, inside the arctic circle...
on the Norwegian Sea
Norwegian Sea
The Norwegian Sea is a marginal sea in the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of Norway. It is located between the North Sea and the Greenland Sea and adjoins the North Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Barents Sea to the northeast. In the southwest, it is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by a...
in Norway. Historically, these lines were operated by the Norwegian State Railways (NSB) in Norway and the Swedish State Railways (SJ) in Sweden, but in 1996 the operations, but not the infrastructure, were transferred to the new company Malmtrafik i Kiruna (MTAB), a joint venture
Joint venture
A joint venture is a business agreement in which parties agree to develop, for a finite time, a new entity and new assets by contributing equity. They exercise control over the enterprise and consequently share revenues, expenses and assets...
between LKAB, NSB and SJ, and its Norwegian subsidiary Malmtrafikk (MTAS). At the time, the line was using El 15 and Dm3 locomotives.
In 1998, LKAB estimated a steady 35% increase in iron ore production until 2005, and requested that the governments grant sufficient funding to upgrade the lines from 25 tonnes (24.6 LT) to 30 tonnes (29.5 LT) maximum permitted axle load. Combined with new locomotives, this would give increased efficiency in hauling the ore from the mines. The upgrade was estimated to cost 180 million Norwegian krone
Norwegian krone
The krone is the currency of Norway and its dependent territories. The plural form is kroner . It is subdivided into 100 øre. The ISO 4217 code is NOK, although the common local abbreviation is kr. The name translates into English as "crown"...
(NOK) for the Ofoten Line alone.
In March 1998, LKAB awarded the contract to build 750 new 100-tonne hopper car
Hopper car
A hopper car is a type of railroad freight car used to transport loose bulk commodities such as coal, ore, grain, track ballast, and the like. The name originated from the coke manufacturing industry which is part of the steel industry ....
s to Transnet
Transnet
Transnet SOC Ltd is a large South African rail, port and pipeline company, headquartered in the Carlton Centre in Johannesburg. It was formed as a limited company on April 1, 1990. A majority of the company's stock is owned by the Department of Public Enterprises, or DPE, of the South African...
of South Africa. In August, an agreement was reached whereby LKAB would pay NOK 100 million of the NOK 130 million needed to upgrade the Ofoten Line. The contract to deliver 18 locomotives was signed with Adtranz Switzerland on 15 September 1998. In 1999, LKAB bought SJ's and NSB's share in MTAB.
The first two sections were delivered by Adtranz in August 2000, and was subjected to intensive tests before the manufacture of the rest of the series. Commissioning concluded in December 2000, the locomotive started regular service on 10 January 2001, and started operation with the new hopper cars and 30 tonnes (29.5 LT) axle load on 7 March 2001. In May 2001, Bombardier Transportation took over Adtranz. Bombardier delivered the rest of the Iore series from 2002 to 2005. In March 2004, LKAB decided not to purchase additional hopper cars from Transnet, and instead purchased 750 heavier cars from K-Industrier. Since 1969, the ore trains have been using the Soviet SA3 coupler
SA3 coupler
The SA3 coupler is a type of railway coupling used mainly, but not exclusively, in Russia and other states of the former Soviet Union.Railways in Russia used European buffers and couplings from their inception. These couplings had three main limitations. Firstly the load was limited. Secondly, the...
. However, LKAB decided that these were not sufficiently strong for the new trains and decided that the Iore locomotives and the new hopper cars were to be delivered with Janney coupler
Janney coupler
The Janney coupler, also known as a knuckle coupler, buckeye coupler, alliance coupler and AAR coupler is an automatic coupler patented by Eli H...
s (also known as AAR coupler). While the first pair of locomotives had Janney couplers, the rest of the first batch were equipped with SA3 couplers to handle the existing hopper cars, and later retrofitted with Janney couplers. In 2004, the El 15 locomotives were sold to Hector Rail
Hector Rail
Hector Rail is a Swedish-based independent train haulage provider operating in the European rail transport market, operating 29 locomotives. The company provides locomotives and drivers to freight customers who need to have whole unit trains hauled between two places with a regular time table.The...
.
On 23 August 2007, LKAB ordered another four twin units, with delivery in 2010 and 2011, and costing €52 million. These will replace all remaining Dm3 locomotives by 2011, and LKAB convert all the ore trains to 68 cars. This will increase the capacity from 28 to 33 million tonnes per year, and at the same time reduce the number of departures per day from 21 to 15.
Specifications
The Iore class was a cold-adapted and heavy-haul derivation from Adtranz's Octeon modular electric locomotive platform, which was launched in 1998 on the basis of Adtranz's latest models for Deutsche BahnDeutsche Bahn
Deutsche Bahn AG is the German national railway company, a private joint stock company . Headquartered in Berlin, it came into existence in 1994 as the successor to the former state railways of Germany, the Deutsche Bundesbahn of West Germany and the Deutsche Reichsbahn of East Germany...
at the time. Adtranz and later Bombardier Transportation conducted the final assembly of the locomotives at Kassel, Germany. When Bombardier Transportation introduced the brand name TRAXX for its updated modular locomotive platform, the type designation TRAXX H80 AC was applicable to the Iore class, however, it was excluded from the TRAXX family by the time of the second batch order in 2007. The manufacturer has also referred to the locomotive type as the Bombardier Kiruna.
Each Iore consists of two identical sections with one driver's cab at each. They normally operate in fixed units of two, making a pair capable of hauling a 8600 tonnes (8,464.2 LT) ore train. Technically an Iore section is also capable to operate as single locomotive, an option that is seldom used in operation. The units are fed with via a pantograph
Pantograph (rail)
A pantograph for rail lines is a hinged electric-rod device that collects electric current from overhead lines for electric trains or trams. The pantograph typically connects to a one-wire line, with the track acting as the ground wire...
. The power is transformed and then converted via a single water-cooled gate turn-off (GTO) thyristor
Gate turn-off thyristor
A gate turn-off thyristor is a special type of thyristor, a high-power semiconductor device. GTOs, as opposed to normal thyristors, are fully controllable switches which can be turned on and off by their third lead, the GATE lead.-Device description:...
based converter per bogie. The converters belong to the Camilla family, which was developed by ABB's Swiss branch as successor for its oil-cooled converters, and found previous use in the FS Class E464
FS Class E464
The E464 is a class of Italian railways electric locomotives. They were introduced in the course of the 1990s for hauling light trains, especially for commuter service. They were acquired by FS Trenitalia to replace the old E424 and E646, dating from the 1940s and 1950s...
. The converters operate independently, with their own cooling and control systems and are shut down automatically in case of failure. The converters consist of seven line-replaceable unit
Line-replaceable unit
A line-replaceable unit is a modular component of an airplane, ship or spacecraft that is designed to be replaced quickly at an operating location. An LRU is usually a sealed unit such as a radio or other auxiliary equipment...
modules to minimize maintenance costs. Each locomotive has six three-phase asynchronous alternating current traction motors, each rated at 900 kW and each powering a single axle
Axle
An axle is a central shaft for a rotating wheel or gear. On wheeled vehicles, the axle may be fixed to the wheels, rotating with them, or fixed to its surroundings, with the wheels rotating around the axle. In the former case, bearings or bushings are provided at the mounting points where the axle...
. This gives a Co′Co′ wheel arrangement. The tractive effort of each locomotive is 600 kilonewtons (600,000 N) and the maximum dynamic braking effort is 375 kilonewtons (375,000 N). There is also a boost function, allowing a temporary traction effort of 700 kilonewtons (700,000 N). The units are capable of 80 kilometres per hour (50 mph) in single runs, 70 kilometres per hour (43 mph) with empty trains and 60 kilometres per hour (37 mph) with loaded trains.
The locomotives are 22.905 metre long, 4.465 metre tall and 2.95 metre wide. The distance between the bogie centers is 12.89 metre and the bogie wheel-base is 1.92 metre. The wheel diameter is 1.25 metre when new and 1.15 metre when worn. Each locomotive weighs 180 tonnes (177.2 LT), of which 38 tonnes (37.4 LT) is electrical equipment. Each locomotive has 30 tonnes (29.5 LT) of dead weight to increase the locomotive's weight to the maximum axle weight, and further weight increase has been achieved by making the walls 4 centimetres (1.6 in) wide with armored steel. The extra wall thickness also provides for increased structural strength, to withstand collisions with snowdrift
Snowdrift
A snowdrift is a deposit of snow sculpted by wind into a mound during a snowstorm. Snowdrifts resemble sand dunes and are formed in a similar manner, namely, by wind moving light snow and depositing it when the wind is slowed, usually against a stationary object. Snow normally crests and slopes...
s and elk
Elk
The Elk is the large deer, also called Cervus canadensis or wapiti, of North America and eastern Asia.Elk may also refer to:Other antlered mammals:...
s. The sides of the walls were built as flat as possible to reduce the sticking of blowing snow
Blowing snow
Blowing snow is snow lifted from the surface by the wind, at a height of 8 feet or more, that will reduce visibility. Blowing snow can come from falling snow or snow that already accumulated on the ground but is picked up and blown about by strong winds. It is one of the classic requirements for a...
and ice formation.
The auxiliary system is powered via a separate transformer winding feeding three independent insulated gate bipolar transistor
Insulated gate bipolar transistor
The insulated gate bipolar transistor or IGBT is a three-terminal power semiconductor device primarily used as an electronic switch and in newer devices is noted for combining high efficiency and fast switching...
(IGBT) converters each providing a three-phase 400 volt system. The locomotive is designed with an open system architecture that can be adapted later. Diagnostic information is available to the driver and can be sent to the control center via GSM-R
GSM-R
GSM-R, Global System for Mobile Communications - Railway or GSM-Railway is an international wireless communications standard for railway communication and applications. A sub-system of European Rail Traffic Management System , it is used for communication between train and railway regulation...
. The locomotive has a large and bright cab with space for up to three people. The second series of locomotives have an improved driver's chair, which has been retrofitted on the older trains. The machine room has a center hallway. All high-current equipment is located behind a door which can only be opened with a special key. This key is locked in such a way that it cannot be accessed without grounding the locomotive, and similarly the locomotive cannot be ungrounded again until the key is back in place.
Operation
Norrbotten County
Norrbotten County is the northernmost county or län of Sweden. It borders Västerbotten County to the southwest, the Gulf of Bothnia to the southeast. It also borders the counties of Nordland and Troms in Norway to the northwest, and Lapland Province in Finland to the northeast.The name...
, Sweden. Most of the output is transported by rail to the ice-free Port of Narvik, a route named the Northern Circuit. A minority of the ore is transported to Luleå on the Southern Circuit. Located on the Baltic Sea, ore is shipped to Baltic customers, or delivered to furnaces operated by SSAB
SSAB
SSAB Swedish Steel AB , or simply SSAB is a Swedish company, formed in 1978 and specialised in processing raw material to steel. Industrivärden is the largest shareholder.-Swedish operations:...
in Luleå and Oxelösund
Oxelösund
Oxelösund is a locality and the seat of Oxelösund Municipality in Södermanland County, Sweden with 10,843 inhabitants in 2005.- History :The harbour at Oxelösund has been used for at least 500 years. In the 19th century, an increased extraction from the Mining district of Central Sweden , made...
. The Iron Ore and Ofoten Lines are 536 kilometres (333.1 mi) long, including the branch to Svappavaara, with the route from Kiruna to Narvik being 170 kilometres (105.6 mi), and from Malmberget to Luleå being 220 kilometres (136.7 mi). Operations are handled by LKAB's subsidiary Malmtrafik i Kiruna (MTAB) in Sweden, and Malmtrafikk (MTAS) in Norway. As of 2010, six pairs of the first batch Iore locomotives operate 11 to 13 trains daily in each direction on the Northern Circuit, and the remaining three pairs of the first batch operate five to six trains on the Southern Circuit. The four pairs of second-batch locomotives will replace Dm3 locomotives on the Northern Circuit by 2011.
The trains hauled by Iore are 68 cars long and weigh 8600 tonnes (8,464.2 LT). From Riksgränsen on the national border to the Port of Narvik, the trains use only a fifth of the power they regenerate. The regenerated energy is sufficient to power the empty trains back up to the national border. Although the trains and hopper cars are all owned by LKAB, the line is owned by the Swedish Transport Administration and the Norwegian National Rail Administration. The Iore Ore and Ofoten Lines are also used by passenger and container trains.