SNCB leases 40 locos from Angel Trains

BELGIAN national operator SNCB is to lease 40 Bombardier Traxx multi-system electric locomotives from Angel Trains, the Royal Bank of Scotland's leasing firm announced on November 23.

Five of the 40 four-voltage locos were already on order from the manufacturer, while a further 35 have been ordered specifically for the 10-year Belgian contract. They are to be delivered in 2008-09, and deployed on freight services in Belgium (3 kV DC), the Netherlands (1·5 kV DC/25 kV AC), Germany (15 kV AC) and Austria (15 kV AC).

The total value of the contract is around €175m. This includes 10 years of maintenance by the manufacturer, whoich will be undertaken using an SNCB workshop and staff.

SNCB Chief Executive Marc Descheemaecker said the lease 'will allow B-Cargo to turn towards the international markets and to take an active part in the growing trade which will be generated by harbour activities in the coming years.'

Angel Trains Group has a regional office in Antwerpen. Announcing the order, Managing Director of Angel Trains Haydn Abbott, said 'it is fitting that our largest ever contract should have come from the Belgian railway, SNCB, with whom we are delighted to have transformed a small and recent contract into a large and long-term relationship.'

The latest order brings the locomotive fleet of Angel Trains Cargo either in service or on order to almost 400 locos, including 195 from Bombardier's Traxx family

The January 2008 issue of Railway Gazette International will be looking in depth at the Traxx family– subscribe today.