Siemens Mobility has concluded the first orders to supply Smartron electric locomotives to Bulgaria and Romania. The Romanian logistics company E-P Rail purchased four vehicles of this type while its Bulgarian counterpart PIMK Rail booked three units.

Siemens Mobility has already received authorisation for the first Smartron locomotive to be operated in Bulgaria. The same permission should be obtained for the operations in Romania. The Smartron locomotives painted with the standard colour “Capri Blue” will be delivered to Bulgaria and Romania in a standard preconfigured version, which ensures the cost-efficient operation and high reliability for customers. They will run on the electrified lines powered with 25-kilovolt alternating current.

Smartron locomotives

The Smartron locomotives are based on the Vectron vehicles, widely used by rail freight companies across Europe. “The Smartron is a powerful and highly reliable locomotive designed for a specific transport function, making possible a simplified and cost-effective purchase process”, said Sabrina Soussan, CEO of Siemens Mobility. The first Smartron locomotive was unveiled in March 2018. It is equipped with the PZB/LZB train control system and has a starting tractive effort of 300 kilonewtonnes.

Siemens Mobility secured the initial orders for the Smartron vehicles on the German market. The German rail freight operator Eisenbahngesellschaft Potsdam (EGP) has become the launching customer for the Smartron type. In June 2018 EGP ordered three Smartron locomotives. In March 2019 Paribus Holding, a Hamburg-based investment and rolling stock company, booked 25 units of this type. The vehicles will be leased to the German rail freight carriers.