OnTrain, a locomotive leasing platform, has unveiled the first Traxx Universal multi-system electric locomotive manufactured by Alstom. Contracts signed in 2024 call for the delivery of 40 locomotives, intended for operation in several markets across Central and Southeastern Europe.
Alstom and OnTrain, a modern locomotive leasing platform, have unveiled the first Traxx Universal multi-system electric locomotive. The event took place at the test track in Żmigród, Poland.
The locomotive is part of a total order of 40 units, based on contracts signed by Alstom and OnTrain in 2024. Of this batch, 35 locomotives will be authorized for operation in Poland, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, and Serbia.
Another 5 locomotives will be certified for the so-called Eastern Corridor, specifically for Poland, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary. Alstom will also provide preventive maintenance for the rolling stock purchased by OnTrain during the warranty period.
OnTrain Enters the Leasing Market with Traxx
Piotr Ignasiak, CEO of OnTrain, stated that the company’s goal is to offer customers locomotives that maintain the highest standards of safety and functionality, while ensuring high fleet availability.
“As a newcomer to the rail rolling stock leasing market, OnTrain relies on proven solutions, such as Traxx locomotives, to compete effectively with the sector’s largest players. We have already tested four of the five Traxx locomotives ordered in December 2024, which demonstrated their technical quality during trials and confirmed that choosing the Traxx platform was the right decision. “We hope that our customers will soon be able to experience the advantages of Traxx locomotives and once again appreciate how reliable they are as a partner in day-to-day operations,” said Piotr Ignasiak.
The Traxx modular platform is used in both passenger and freight transport, for domestic and cross-border operations, and can be delivered in multiple configurations, including AC, DC, and multi-system.
The locomotives ordered by OnTrain are equipped with the Onvia signaling system, formerly known as Atlas, Alstom’s on-board solution for the European Train Control System – ETCS.
A significant portion of the order is manufactured in Poland
Beata Rusinowicz, Alstom’s managing director in Poland, stated that the new locomotives will strengthen the leasing fleet built by OnTrain to support the development of the European rail market.
“We are very pleased that the Traxx Universal locomotives will strengthen the fleet of the locomotive leasing platform that OnTrain is building to support the dynamic growth of the European rail market. We are proud that a significant portion of this order is being produced in Poland, at Alstom’s facility in Wrocław, which is responsible for manufacturing the locomotive bodies. The expertise of the local team, supported by investments in the development of our production capabilities, allows us to effectively meet market demand for modern multi-system locomotives, both through the leasing model and through orders placed for the transport companies’ own operational needs. “We believe that the partnership between Alstom and OnTrain contributes to strengthening the role of rail transport and to the development of a sustainable, low-emission trans-European transport network,” said Beata Rusinowicz.
The locomotives for OnTrain are manufactured at Alstom’s facility in Kassel, Germany, while the locomotive bodies are produced in Wrocław, Poland.
Over 2,000 Traxx locomotive bodies produced in Wrocław
The Alstom facility in Wrocław has significant technological capabilities and is a major center for the production of locomotives, passenger vehicles, and advanced components, including bodies for high-speed trains and multiple units for bogies for various types of rolling stock.
To date, over 2,000 Traxx locomotive bodies have been produced in Wrocław, in various versions and types, including DC, AC, and multi-system. These include locomotives equipped with the Last Mile system, which allows for operations on secondary lines without power from the overhead contact line.
In recent years, the Wrocław facility has also been involved in the delivery of ICE 4 long-distance trains for Deutsche Bahn. As part of the largest contract in the history of the German railways, over 1,500 car bodies and bogies were produced in Wrocław, which are now in service on major intercity routes in Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, and Switzerland.
The execution of the contract for Deutsche Bahn was made possible, among other things, by investments of nearly 60 million EUR in the Wrocław facility. A new hall, W5, houses one of the most advanced paint shops in the world, equipped with robots for painting and sandblasting, as well as a temperature- and humidity-controlled bonding area.
Over the past 5 years, Alstom has invested an additional 30 million EUR in the plant’s transformation, including the construction of a modern aluminum welding line with a welding robot and a 90-meter-long aluminum processing machine, presented at the time as the largest in Europe.
One of the oldest rolling stock factories in Europe
The new investments in Wrocław also include a train interior assembly line, which will be developed under a contract for the German operators go.Rheinland and Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr, in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
The contract calls for the production of 904 railcars in Wrocław. The Alstom facility is responsible for welding, painting, and initial outfitting of all cars, including thermal and acoustic insulation, installation of windows, doors, floors, ceilings with wiring, passenger information displays in the side walls, speakers, and toilets in the end cars.
Alstom’s facility in Wrocław currently has over 1,000 employees. The plant continues the tradition of one of Europe’s oldest rolling stock facilities, founded in 1833 and known after World War II as Pafawag.
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