CFL Receives Approval for Multi-System Locomotives

CFL cargo SA, a European railway company, has received approval for the first multi-system locomotives on the Germany-Luxembourg-Poland perimeter. This facilitates international rail transport and promotes the shift of traffic from road to the much more sustainable rail.

(Bettemburg) In their target configuration, the new locomotives from CFL cargo are unique: they will be the first locomotives in Europe capable of conducting international traffic on the North-South and West-East axes thanks to their multi-system capability. The European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) emphasizes that a well-developed cross-border railway system is the foundation for cross-border mobility in Europe, but also acknowledges that the lack of interoperability of the rail network is likely one of the biggest obstacles to achieving better connectivity. This hurdle hampers the shift from road to rail, which would bring us closer to our common goal of reducing the CO2 footprint of freight transport. In an effort to find a short-term, tangible solution, CFL cargo has worked closely with Alstom to homologate a locomotive that can overcome the disparities between the various national railway infrastructures.

The locomotives are currently approved for Luxembourg, Germany, and Poland, with deployment in France, Austria, and Belgium already planned for the near future. As part of a strategy that aims to combine and optimize the group’s resources, the new locomotives are planned to be used on the corridors of the railway company for both intermodal and conventional transport. Furthermore, these new locomotives, equipped with hybrid technology, will also enable “First and Last Mile” operations on non-electrified routes. With the Traxx MS3, CFL cargo aims to increase the robustness and performance of its trains. The homogenization of the locomotive fleet will also lead to greater flexibility and thus better quality of services.

Proud to be the First

“We are proud to be the first to deploy these multi-system locomotives in this configuration. This shows how important innovation is at CFL cargo. In this way, we are improving the supply chain of tomorrow and ensuring high quality, reliability, and safety in our services. We contribute to making rail transport more efficient, which aligns with our mission to promote the shift from road to rail,” said Sébastien Hoffmann, CEO of CFL cargo SA.

Only One Locomotive for the Same Route

“One of our biggest competitive advantages is our service quality, which we can offer by combining our conventional services with our intermodal services. This makes us a strong cross-border operator. With our new Traxx MS3 locomotives, routes like Poznań-Bettemburg will benefit greatly: where we previously had to change locomotives, we now only use one locomotive for the same route, leading to higher reliability. This is another argument to motivate the transport industry to shift from road to rail,” said Max Solvi, COO International of CFL cargo SA.

Photo: © CFL