The investment was arranged and structured by Northrail for the Paris-based infrastructure investment company RIVE Private Investment. Northrail will, on behalf of RIVE, act as asset manager and lessor of the locomotives.
The base order includes 15 multi-system locomotives and eight years of full-service maintenance. The maximum contract value amounts to €370m. Production will take place at the Alstom site in Kassel, Germany, and is scheduled to start in 2025.
These multi-system Traxx Universal locomotives will be the first of their kind to be homologated in France that can run at a speed of up to 160km/h in a European corridor comprising the following six countries: Germany, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Austria, and Poland.
The multi-system locomotives can be used for freight and passenger transport. The services package will provide for a high availability of the locomotives, and thus good reliability. Thanks to the network of depots and mobile service teams across Europe, the locomotives will enjoy full cross-country maintenance.
All locomotives will be equipped with ATLAS, Alstom’s onboard solution for the European Train Control System (ETCS). The Europe-wide standardized train control system for seamless cross-border traffic enables higher speeds and frequencies on the railways. It saves time and energy and thereby enables even cleaner freight transport.
Müslüm Yakisan, president of the DACH Region at Alstom, said, “The Traxx locomotives are an innovative investment in the future of rail transport. With more than 150 years of experience and worldwide references, Alstom is pleased to further contribute to the digitalization and sustainability of rail transport. Given the long-term maintenance agreement, Northrail will also benefit from optimized and plannable life cycle costs as well as maximum availability of the locomotives.”
Michael Trentzsch, member of the executive board of Northrail, added, “With this innovative new multi-system locomotive, which includes the homologation for France, we are very pleased to again being a first mover in the locomotive leasing industry. Thus, we very much look forward to receiving the first locomotive in 2025 and therewith further fostering our relationship with Alstom.”
Camille Brunel, partner at RIVE, concluded, “This first order with Alstom is a testimony of our trust in Alstom’s new products and innovation capabilities. This order made through our leasing platform established with our longstanding partner Northrail will further strengthen the rail strategy of RIVE. By supporting innovation and bringing efficient products to the operators, RIVE is actively contributing to Europe’s energy and environmental transition policy.”