The renewal of the locomotive fleet in France is going slower than in other European countries. Leasing company Railpool is working on reverting this trend with the delivery of the Alstom Traxx Universal units, which RégioRail will use for its rail freight services.
The deployment of new electric locomotives has been stagnating in France. A recent study by German consultants SCI Verkehr highlighted how no new ones were delivered in the country between 2017 and 2024. “By way of comparison, 60% of electric locomotives have been delivered in Germany over the last 20 years”, Railpool highlighted.
In addition to RégioRail, “the first freight leases have been confirmed by Captrain Germany, a subsidiary of Rail Logistics Europe” (which groups all of SNCF’s freight operations), Railpool added. These units are not only fit for freight trains. The locomotives will also be used by TrainCharter Services for their passenger services between Paris, Brussels and Berlin.
Railpool in France
Railpool has been strengthening its position in France over the past few years. The company “obtained authorised non-RU (non-railway undertaking) applicant status from SNCF Réseau”, for example. Moreover, it is cooperating with Technis, the maintenance company of the French railway group by providing maintenance for the Traxx Universal locos and supply of spare parts.