Polish locomotive leaser Cargounit has signed two contracts with Siemens Mobility for up to 100 units, split between two models of the Germany-based manufacturer’s locos.
The first contract consists of 90 Vectron MS units, 30 of which have been “called up” immediately with delivery slated for 2025.
Separately Cargounit has bought 10 Smartron locomotives.
Siemens Mobility said the leasing firm was its largest customer in Poland, and with the new orders, its fleet would be bolstered to 66 Vectrons and 18 Smartrons.
"With our Vectron locomotives, Cargounit is paving the way for sustainable and efficient cross-border rail transport in Europe. The new orders reaffirm Cargounit’s trust in one of the most modern and environmentally friendly universal locomotives available on the European market today," said Albrecht Neumann, CEO Rolling Stock at Siemens Mobility.
Cargounit’s new Vectron MS locomotives will operate in Poland, Germany, Austria, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, the Netherlands, Romania, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Italy, Bulgaria and Belgium. The Smartron locomotives will operate in Germany, Bulgaria or Romania.
Łukasz Boroń, CEO of Cargounit, explained the contracts were a sign of the Polish firm’s recent growth.
“The signing of the agreements with Siemens Mobility marks another milestone for Cargounit in implementing our strategy to modernize our fleet of locomotives for freight and passenger service in Poland and elsewhere in Central and Eastern Europe. Over the past three years, we have significantly exceeded our original goals for purchasing and delivering state-of-the-art locomotives to customers in Poland, including multi-system locomotives,” he said.
“In the coming years, we plan to continue replacing older units with highly reliable, low-emission locomotives in line with the strategy of Cargounit and rail operators to increase sustainability in the rail sector. We are confident that Cargounit will benefit from this trend of modernizing rolling stock in Central and Eastern European countries,” Boroń added.
