The Rhaetian Railway (RhB) and the Matterhorn Gotthard Railway (MGBahn) have signed a contract with Stadler for the manufacture and supply of eleven new metre-gauge locomotives.
Eight of the locomotives produced in Bussnang (Switzerland) will go to the RhB and three to the MGBahn. The new locomotives will replace older ones that are reaching the end of their service, and will see the fleet harmonised and expanded. The order is worth around CHF 100 million.
The hybrid metre-gauge locomotive is an innovative vehicle concept, allowing the vehicles on the construction sites of the two railways to be operated either by the overhead line or by diesel engines, to heighten flexibility and operational efficiency. The customised locomotives have four axles with single-axle drive and can reach a maximum speed of 100 km/h. They will be produced in Bussnang in northeast Switzerland.
Additional vehicles at RhB for shorter intervention times
The procurement of eight new locomotives will enable five RhB locomotives to be replaced and withdrawn from service. The three additional locomotives will help reduce disruption, with more locomotives positioned along the route. Because many sections of the track on the network do not have road access, it is essential that trains that are stranded or have experienced an incident or fault can be removed quickly, and in future, this will be done using these powerful locomotives. They will also be used to meet the increased demands placed on them, as more construction and maintenance activity is likely in future, and there will be less time overnight to conduct this work.
Replacement for old MGBahn vehicles
MGBahn is procuring the three new service locomotives to replace the ageing HGm 4/4 61-62 locomotives. The new locomotives will be utilised for maintenance and to upgrade the railway infrastructure. They will play a central role in clearing snow from the Oberalp Pass in winter.
Synergies for metre-gauge railways: Development costs are shared
In addition to the RhB and the MGBahn contract, the Montreux-Berner Oberland-Bahn (MOB) ordered six metre-gauge locomotives of a similar type in October 2024. On 10 December 2024, the Transports de la région Morges-Bière-Cossonay (MBC) and Stadler signed a contract for a single locomotive. The orders will enable the four RAILplus partner railways to develop synergies and share the one-off costs associated with the manufacture and delivery of this rolling stock.
Image credit: Stadler
