As part of the 5-point transport action plan announced at the end of the summer, the MÁV-VOLÁN group is also continuously working on the rental and commissioning of high-quality used railway vehicles as a short-term, temporary solution, in parallel with the preparation of the purchase of new vehicles. To this end, the company group is testing a new electric locomotive – not yet in public traffic, but in the framework of a test operation without passengers.
After a successful testing period, the contract can be concluded for a total of 27 locomotives (15 immediately and 12 optionally recalled). It is necessary to equip the vehicles with safety and driving support systems (door controls, locomotive deck equipment), after which they can be gradually put into service on the domestic railway tracks from the beginning of next year, thereby significantly increasing the operational capability and therefore also the regularity of the timetable.
Tuesday, the railway company held a successful trial run between Budapest and Hatvan with high-energy InterCity and night trains. The next milestone will be passenger traffic tests, after the vehicles have been properly prepared. The MÁV-VOLÁN group will only put the locomotives into operation if the testing is successful and proves that the locomotives can be operated safely and with high availability, and that they comply with all official and traffic safety regulations.
During the current full-scale technical trial operation, we are convinced of the operational, load-bearing, traffic safety and handling properties of the locomotives.
The locomotives – in the event of an agreement regarding their commissioning – would be partially put into service to replace the aging V43 type traction vehicles with a maximum speed of 120 km/h, with MÁV-START planning to use them for a few years, until newly purchased high-performance locomotives arrive. , modern electric locomotives already equipped with ETCS system train influencers.
In order to alleviate the growing demand for travel and the lack of vehicles, the railway company is constantly working on putting used vehicles for rent into operation as a short-term, temporary solution. In this way, the fleet of MÁV-START and MÁV Rail Tours can be expanded with additional used vehicles, similar to the use of Siemens Eurosprinter electric locomotives rented from AKIEM since last fall.
The multi-current Astride locomotives manufactured by the French company Alstom are suitable for operation on the domestic 25 kV overhead line network and can haul at a speed of up to 160 km/h. The type of locomotive being tested was previously operated by the French national railway company (SNCF), and was taken over by the railway leasing company AKIEM.
Share on:
