Alpha Trains upgrades Traxx locomotives with ETCS

Alpha Trains will upgrade 77 of its locomotives with ETCS train equipment for Baseline 3 Release 2 (B3R2). The upgrade is part of a broader upgrade program that replaces the current train safety system (ATB) in the Netherlands with the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS).

Alpha Trains commissioned Alstom/Bombardier Transportation to carry out the retrofitting of 55 Bombardier Traxx 186 units. Besides, Alstom Belgium will upgrade another eight units of the Vossloh G1206 model and 14 units of the Vossloh G2000.

Locomotive upgrade

With the upgrade to ETCS Baseline 3 Release 2, the locomotives are continuously in contact with the tracks. In this way, the driver on duty can receive information about the permitted speed, for example, without being dependent on signals along the route.

According to Alpha Trains Group CEO Shaun Mills, the company is taking a new step in facilitating the modal shift from road to rail with the modernisation of its locomotives. The Bombardier Traxx 186 has been homologated for use in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Austria, while the Vossloh is suitable to use in the Netherlands and Germany.