POLAND: Leasing company Akiem has unveiled the first of 30 Newag Dragon-2 locos ordered to support its expansion in the central European market.
Akiem said it was the first European lessor to ‘invest massively’ in new locomotives for central Europe, which represents 20% of its customer portfolio and is expected to continue to grow.
In November 2023 Akiem awarded Newag a contract to supply and maintain 10 Dragon-2 six-axle E6MST multi-system electric locos equipped for Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and 20 DC locos for Poland with a Stage V-compliant last-mile diesel engine. This was the manufacturer’s largest by value in its history, potentially worth nearly €500m including options for 50 more locomotives.
‘By collaborating with Akiem, we not only expand our footprint in the European leasing market but also support rail operators in their efforts to modernise their fleets with cutting-edge, high-performance locomotives’, said Newag Vice-President Józef Michalik when the first of the locos was displayed to interested freight operators at the factory in Nowy Sącz on February 5.
Akiem has a total fleet of 750 locomotives and 16 passenger vehicles, leased to 90 customers in 22 European countries. It has a team of 30 people in Warszawa, supporting 160 locomotives with more than 100 more expected by 2029.
‘By providing a fleet of modern and reliable locomotives, we offer our customers in this region a response to their ever-increasing expectations, while contributing to the ecological transition’, said Anna Puchalowicz, director of Akiem’s central Europe region.
