Alpha Trains and RTSU sign agreement for Stadler locomotives

Credit: Stadler

Rail & Truck Strait Union (RTSU) and Alpha Trains have signed a long-term finance lease agreement for seven Stadler EURO6000 locomotives. The EURO6000s will be manufactured entirely at the Albuixech plant in Valencia and delivery of the new locomotives is scheduled between 2024 and 2025.

RTSU was established by CMA CGM (through Continental Rail), Eco Rail and Marcotran specifically for the operation for the operation of the rail highway. This new line will allow the sustainable and intermodal transport of goods from Algeciras in the south of Spain, one of the busiest ports in the Mediterranean, to Zaragoza in the north of the peninsula and later to Europe. Based on current volumes and forecasts, it is estimated that the “autopista ferroviaria Algeciras-Zaragoza” will reduce emissions by more than 94,000 tonnes of CO2 per year.

The EURO6000 is a member of the Stadler EURODUAL locomotive family and offers the highest hauling capacity on the European market, enabling the transport of longer and heavier trains and leading to greater profitability for transport services. In 2020, Alpha Trains ordered its first Stadler EURO6000 and since then, the number of the EURO6000 locomotives in the Alpha Trains portfolio has increased over 50 locomotives.

“We are delighted to have concluded this transaction with RTSU with a leasing solution tailored made to RTSU needs and with the financial support of the subsidies granted to RTSU by the Spanish Ministry of Transport,” Fernando Pérez, Interim CEO of the Alpha Trains Group, said. “The agreement demonstrates our commitment to play a key role in the development and growth of the freight railway market in Spain and to maximise the use of the railway infrastructure.”

“In line with our commitment to greener transport, the EURO6000 was designed to improve the profitability and sustainability of rail freight services,” Iñigo Parra, CEO of Stadler Valencia, said. “We are very proud of the opportunities that this locomotive offers to the market, such as the operation of new services like the Algeciras-Zaragoza rail motorway and congratulate Alpha Trains for facilitating its use with tailor-made leasing solutions. We are convinced that the EURO6000 will boost the modal shift from road to rail in the Iberian Peninsula.”