GERMANY: Leasing company Railpool has ordered 45 Modula heavy shunting and freight locomotives from CRRC’s Vossloh Rolling Stock business, with options to purchase 142 more.
The initial batch of locomotives is to be supplied in two variants. All will be fitted with a 1 MW diesel engine able to run on synthetic fuels. One variant will have a battery pack for energy storage and reuse, while the other will be configured as an electro-diesel with a 2·5 MW rating when operating under 15 kV 16·7 Hz overhead electrification.
Under the agreements signed on October 20, deliveries of the locos in the firm order are scheduled to run from mid-2026 until the end of 2027. Railpool will be able to exercise the options to order additional locomotives until mid-2029.
Railpool currently has around 500 electric main line locomotives in its leasing fleet, but said the latest order marked its entry into the shunting loco market. The Modula locos will be offered for full service lease on the German market, while approval to operate in the Netherlands is also envisaged.
‘Around 60% of the locomotives in Europe are over 30 years old and at the end of their product life cycles’, said Railpool CEO Torsten Lehnert. ‘Shunting locomotives, in fact, are on average over 40 years old.
‘By purchasing the Modula locomotives, we aim to offer our customers the attractive prospect of being able to switch easily to leasing new, sustainable and energy-efficient vehicles and providing their operations personnel with a modern working environment while still enjoying the usual Railpool service quality.’
