- Locomotives News
- 07. June 2018
- Press Release | Alpha Trains
Alpha Trains expands business in France
Latest generation of six-axle locomotives completes Alpha Trains Locomotive portfolio
Luxembourg/Antwerp, 7 June 2018 - Alpha Trains signed a purchase agreement for nine EURO4001 diesel-electric locomotives with Stadler Rail Valencia. These latest generation locomotives will be on a long term lease with VFLI, who will use them to expand their freight services in France.
The EURO4001 is an evolution of the successful EURO4000 locomotive, of which Alpha Trains owns 30 locomotives, and which have proven to be highly reliable and are leased to multiple operators in Spain and Portugal. The delivery of the new EURO4001 locomotives, all equipped for operation in France and Belgium, including ETCS, is scheduled for 2020.
Based on a long-term business relationship with VFLI, Alpha Trains is now expanding its business in France with the leasing of further locomotives. Fernando Pérez, Managing Director of Alpha Trains Locomotives, said: “Our business relationship with VFLI goes back to 2005 and we are pleased to expand our cooperation with the lease of these 9 x EURO4001 locomotives, which will strengthen the fleet of VFLI in the coming years. We are equally happy to incorporate additional locomotives from Stadler Rail Valencia and to extend to France and Belgium our successful collaboration over the last years, which started with the lease of the EURO4000 locomotives in Spain and Portugal.”
The powerful locomotives offer flexibility, high hauling capacity, low energy consumption and reduced operational costs. They have a high power diesel engine rated at 2,800Kw, which fulfils the most stringent exhaust emissions (EC 26/2004 Stage IIIB) and benefits from state of the art AC/AC technology to transfer traction independently to each of the 6 axles.
About VFLI
Since it was founded in 1998, VFLI, a subsidiary of SNCF, has become a key player in the rail freight market conveying close on 3 billion tonne-kilometres of goods annually. A dynamic and fast-growing company, VFLI employs 900 people who every day meet the requirements of security, quality and responsiveness of its customers to offer them a tailor-made service.
VFLI operates more than 60 commercial trains daily on the French National Rail Network, also provides rail logistics for its customers" industrial sites, and puts its skills and equipment at the service of trackwork companies. Very present on complete trains and regular flows, VFLI is also able to manage spot trains and it offers traffics of proximity making it possible the modal shift of the road towards the rail (more information about VFLI: http://www.vfli.com/).
About Stadler
Stadler has been building trains for 75 years. The system provider of rail vehicle construction solutions is headquartered in Bussnang in Eastern Switzerland, and has a workforce of over 7000 based in various production, service and engineering locations across Switzerland, Germany, Spain, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Belarus and the United States. Service locations are also being operated in countries including Algeria, Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the UK. Stadler provides a comprehensive range of products in the heavy and urban transport segments: High-speed trains, intercity trains, regional and commuter rail trains, underground trains, tram trains and trams. Furthermore, Stadler also manufactures main-line locomotives, shunting locomotives and passenger carriages, including the most powerful diesel-electric locomotive in Europe. Stadler is the world’s leading manufacturer in the rack-and-pinion rail vehicle industry (more information about Stadler: http://www.stadlerrail.com/).