Alstom and the emerging locomotive leasing company OnTrain have presented the first multi-system electric locomotive Traxx Universal from a contract covering 40 vehicles. The project is significant not only for Polish but also for European rail transport.
The Traxx Universal third-generation locomotives are characterised by high operational efficiency, reliability, energy efficiency and extended maintenance intervals. They can also haul heavier loads than other locomotives in the same class.
OnTrain’s president Piotr Ignasiak stressed that the company wants to offer clients safe, functional and accessible locomotives. – The choice of the proven Traxx platform allows the new entity to compete with the largest companies on the rolling stock leasing market – he said. According to him, tests on four of the five ordered locomotives have confirmed their technical quality and the soundness of this decision.
Poland plays a key role in production
The vehicles for OnTrain are produced at the Alstom plant in Kassel, Germany, but the bodyshells are built in Wrocław. Beata Rusinowicz, managing director of Alstom in Poland, Ukraine and the Baltic states, emphasised that she is delighted the locomotives will power OnTrain’s fleet. – We are proud that a significant part of this order is realised in Poland, at the Alstom plant in Wrocław, which is responsible for producing locomotive bodyshells – she added.
Thirty-five locomotives will be authorised for operation in Poland, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia. Five vehicles will be homologated for the Eastern Corridor, i.e. Poland, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. Alstom will also be responsible for preventive maintenance of the rolling stock purchased by OnTrain during the warranty period.
The Wrocław plant possesses unique technological capabilities. It is a leading manufacturer of locomotives, passenger vehicles and advanced components such as bodyshells for high-speed trains and bogie frames for various types of rail vehicles. Over 2,000 bodyshells for Traxx locomotives in various versions have already been produced there, including the unique Last Mile system for manoeuvring on sidings without overhead lines.
Uncertainty over German factory, Wrocław expands
According to the German portal HNA, Alstom is considering selling its locomotive factory in Kassel, which employs around 800 people. The company has confirmed talks with a potential investor, but has not revealed who is interested. Speculation points to possible interest from the defence sector, especially since Alstom sold a plant in Görlitz to the KNDS group last year, where tank components are now produced. The Kassel factory neighbours a Rheinmetall plant, which is developing Europe’s largest tank factory there.
Meanwhile, the Wrocław plant continues to grow. In recent years, Alstom has invested approximately 90 million euros there. This included a state-of-the-art aluminium welding line with a welding robot and a 90-metre-long aluminium processing machine, at the time the largest in Europe. The site was also involved in the record-breaking ICE 4 contract for Deutsche Bahn, producing over 1,500 bodyshells. Further investments include an interior assembly line for 904 wagons ordered by the German operators go.Rheinland and Verkehrsverbund Rhein Ruhr.
The Wrocław Alstom plant currently employs over 1,000 people. It continues the traditions of one of Europe’s oldest rolling stock factories, founded in 1833 and after World War II operating as Pafawag.
Źródło: wnp.pl, Fot. Alstom
