Rail freight operator Railcare has awarded Siemens a contract to supply seven Vectron locomotives. The contract also calls for Siemens to supply service and maintenance of the locomotives for eight years.
The new locomotives will be used to haul freight in Germany, Austria and Switzerland in unaccompanied combined transport (UCT).
All locomotives will be equipped with a diesel power module which allows the locomotive to operate for short stretches without overhead power lines, such as on sidings or while shunting in yards. With the diesel power module, Railcare does not have to operate supplementary shunting locomotives. The 6.4-MW locomotive has a top speed of 160 kilometers an hour.
Railcare is a wholly owned subsidiary of Coop, the Swiss retailer and wholesaler, and transports freight in Switzerland with its own trains and trucks.