BLS Cargo orders 25 locomotives for North-South Corridor cross-border operations

BLS Cargo – the Swiss rail freight company – has ordered 25 Vectron MS locomotives from Siemens Mobility for planned operation on the North-South Corridor. They will be used in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, the Netherlands and Belgium, and delivery will be carried out in several phases from the end of 2020 to 2025. With this order, the Vectron fleet operated by BLS Cargo will increase to a total of 40 locomotives – the company previously ordered 15 locomotives in 2015.

Dirk Stahl, CEO of BLS Cargo, said: “With the new locomotives, we will be accessing the Belgian market and can coordinate our operations even better and closer with our Belgian subsidiary, Crossrail.”

Sabrina Soussan, CEO of Siemens Mobility, said: “The continued confidence of BLS Cargo confirms the reliability and performance of our Vectron locomotive, which meets the requirements of cross-border European freight transport and gives our customers maximum flexibility.”

The locomotives have a maximum output of 6.4 megawatts, a top speed of 160km/h, and are equipped with the required national train control systems and the European Train Control System (ETCS).