SŽ-Tovorni promet is consolidating its role as one of the leading rail cargo carriers in the region and a reliable business partner for many companies in Slovenia and abroad with the purchase of 30 new multi-system electric locomotives. The Director of SŽ-Tovorni promet, Ernest Gortan, and Remigiusz Jan Paszkiewicz, member of the Management Board, on Friday, 21 March 2025 signed , a contract for the purchase of 30 state-of-the-art multi-system electric locomotives with the supplier Alstom Transportation Germany. This is the largest modernisation of the cargo transport fleet of Slovenian Railways in more than 20 years.
Between April 2027 and September 2028, 30 Traxx 3 MS locomotives from Alstom will be taken over by SŽ-Tovorni promet. The investment in the procurement of new electric locomotives is one of the fundamental strategic objectives of SŽ-Tovorni promet. At the same time, the modernisation of the rolling stock is one of the commitments of the strategic partnership with the Czech company EP Logistics International, which entered the ownership structure of SŽ-Tovorni promet in 2022 with a 49% stake. The key strategic objective of the partnership between Slovenske železnice and EP Logistics International is to establish the largest independent alliance in rail cargo transport in Central Europe.
New locomotives for even greater competitiveness in the wider region
In addition to Slovenia, the new locomotives will be licensed for operation in Austria, Croatia, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Serbia. They will also be able to access Opčine on the Slovenian-Italian border and the traffic interchange stations between Italy and Austria. Their purchase is a vital step for SŽ-Tovorni promet in increasing its competitiveness in the wider region. They will enable the company to enter new key regional markets, increase flexibility and service quality in line with customer expectations and reduce operating costs.
Increased traction power, higher speed and lower electricity consumption
The new electric locomotives will be able to haul around 30% heavier cargo trains compared to the older 363-series locomotives, and their top speed will be a third higher. Alstom locomotives will also be more environmentally friendly, consuming around 20% less electricity and being significantly quieter than existing locomotives. At the same time, their regular maintenance costs will be half those of current locomotives.
The biggest fleet modernisation in more than 20 years
The purchase of 30 multi-system electric locomotives is the largest purchase of locomotives in Slovenia since 2004, when Slovenske železnice signed a contract for the delivery of 32 electric locomotives of the 541 series. The contract price of the locomotives is EUR 152,099,988 excluding VAT and EUR 185,561,985 including VAT. The price of each locomotive excluding VAT is EUR 4,996,233. Alstom will also supply spare parts worth EUR 2,212,998 (excluding VAT) and train drivers and maintenance staff. The maintenance of the locomotives will be carried out in Slovenia.
In recent years, SŽ-Tovorni promet has already partially modernised its rolling stock with the purchase of 100 new wagons with containers for ore transport, the purchase of four new diesel locomotives for shunting, mainly at Koper station, and the complete overhaul (remotorisation) of 12 older diesel shunting locomotives.
Further investments in fleet modernisation
In the coming years, SŽ-Tovorni promet plans to completely modernise 12 diesel locomotives and to purchase 750 new freight wagons of different types. By 2030, they will have invested around EUR 300 million in fleet modernisation.
In addition to these investments, the company has also been also investing in the modernisation of the existing rolling stock in line with the highest technical and environmental standards. The wagons are being equipped with silent composite brake pads, which reduce noise and the risk of causing wildfires. Locomotives are being fitted with state-of-the-art safety equipment in accordance with the European ERMTS regulation, and diesel locomotives are being modernised with pre-heating systems to reduce noise and fuel consumption. They are also planning to upgrade cargo wagons with digital automatic coupling.
With the purchase of 30 new electric locomotives and the implementation of other planned investments in rolling stock, SŽ-Tovorni promet will further consolidate its role as one of the leading rail cargo carriers in the region and a reliable business partner for many companies in Slovenia and abroad. This will also have a significant impact on the reduction of emissions in the environment. Since last year, Slovenske železnice has been supplying electricity from 100% renewable sources for all electric trains in passenger and cargo transport, which means a significant additional reduction of the carbon footprint in passenger and cargo transport.
