Belgian national railway company taps Alstom for electric Traxx locomotives
The National Railway Company of Belgium (SNCB/NMBS) has placed an order with Alstom for at least 24 electric Traxx locomotives to the tune of 120 million euros, the manufacturer announced on Tuesday.
The first locomotives are slated for delivery in 2026. The framework agreement with SNCB includes an option for a further 26 units of the third-generation Traxx. The locomotives will be deployed in Belgium first and foremost, but are also expected to operate in Germany, Luxemburg and the Netherlands.
The units will be largely manufactured and assembled in Germany, apart from the body, which is produced in Poland. The Alstom unit based in the Belgian city of Charleroi will be responsible for the ETCS Level 2 signalling and control system.
The third-generation Traxx locomotives are capable or reaching speeds of up to 200 kilometres per hour. Compared to its predecessors, the latest units are more energy efficient and have a 33 percent longer maintenance interval. There are currently close to 280 Traxx locomotives in operation across the Benelux, with another 2.400 in use in other parts of the world.
Traxx order follows agreement for additional train cars
Late last year, SNCB/NMBS placed a 268-million euro order for an additional 98 double-deck M7 multifunction train cars from Alstom. The order was part of the 2015 framework contract for as many as 1.362 M7 train cars. To date, the company has ordered 747 units of which more than 100 are already in operation in Belgium.
The M7 train cars are designed for speeds up to 200 kilometres per hour. They can operate on the Belgian network as well as the cross-border lines to the Netherlands and Luxembourg.
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