French rolling stock manufacturer Alstom has signed a contract with Railpool to supply 50 Traxx Universal multi-purpose locomotives across Europe, in a contract worth €260m ($288m).
European rail leasing company Railpool set out to spread the Traxx locomotive operations across eight countries, including Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Italy, Belgium, Luxemburg and Poland.
The Traxx Universal locomotives can pull both passenger and freight services and operate at speeds up to 200km/h.
Alstom rolling stock, locomotives and components vice-president Kevin Cogo said the deal would boost sustainability: “This contract marks the continuation of a long-standing and successful partnership.
“With our proven Traxx locomotives and our state-of-the-art Atlas signalling solution, we are proud to contribute to a more efficient and sustainable freight and passenger transport.”
All the locomotives will be fitted with Alstom’s onboard solution for the European Train Control System, Atlas.
Alstom said the first Traxx locomotive equipped with an Atlas signalling system departed it’s factory in Kassel, Germany, on 17 May 2023.
Railpool CEO Torsten Lehnert said the deal exemplified the firm’s move into the French market: “With this purchase, we solidify our commitment to developing our one-of-a-kind full-service offering in the French market on top of the recent office opening in France under the leadership of Frédérique Erlichman.
“All 50 locomotives ordered from our partner Alstom will cover operations in France and along the most important European corridors, contributing to the further advancement of sustainable high-performance rail transportation out of France.”
This new contract further extends the relationship between Alstom and Railpool, after the firms collaborated on the leasing company’s expansion to Scandinavian markets in February 2023.
