MMV Rail Romania will be the third rail company in the country to welcome a brand-new Siemens Smartron locomotive, which is scheduled to start its journey at the beginning of September. The Romanian subsidiary of the PETROLSPED Kft company declared that its main goal is to improve the national level of the country’s rolling stock and to offer swift, fast, and reliable freight transport options for their clients with the help of the new smart engine.

Locomotives made for the Romanian and Bulgarian market

Siemens Mobility launched its Smartron electric locomotives in the Spring of 2018. They are budget versions of Siemens’ Vectron modular locomotives, pre-configured and specifically designed for the Romanian and Bulgarian submarkets.

Siemens Mobility CEO Sabrina Soussan declared that “The Smartron is a powerful and highly reliable locomotive designed for a specific transport function, making possible a simplified and cost-effective purchase process. Now operators in Bulgaria and Romania can also profit from this concept”.

A total number of six Siemens Smartrons have already arrived in the country, courtesy of E-P Rail and Unicom Tranzit, making the locomotive brought in by MMV Rail Romania the 7th Smartron satisfying requirements for state-of-the-art, economic freight transport.

Siemens Smartron – Simplicity on rails

The Smartron is known for its optimum performance and high dependability, placing it among the top locomotives that are ideal for country-specific freight transport. The locomotive weighs an impressive 83 tons, can reach 5,600 kW maximum power at the wheel and can travel with a speed of up to 160 km/h. It was built upon the proven concepts and components used in the Vectron locomotive, with maximum reliability and operational safety in mind.

The fact that the electronically controlled Siemens Smartron locomotive has a much lower chance of getting faulty than other train engines is an added bonus. The new Smartron can run for up to 3 months (or the equivalent of 30.000 kms) before requiring an 8-hour maintenance/service session. In comparison, an old locomotive has a 25% chance of malfunctioning monthly, which means weekly visits to the repair shop and continuous disruptions in the freight transportation journey. With the Siemens Smartron such disturbances will be avoided, ensuring trustworthy and stable services for clients looking to transport their cargo. 

Future plans for MMV Rail Romania’s fleet

Kinga Mădărășan, General Director of MMV Rail Romania is optimistic about the company’s brand-new Siemens Smartron. According to her, after the Smartron is put to work and it yields positive results, the company will consider investing in a second locomotive from Siemens. A handful of engine drivers are currently learning the ins and outs of the new operating system, which boasts a driver cab and consoles based on the well-established Vectron concept. The company is also working on scoring the certificate to register the locomotives in accordance with national security rules and regulations.

The smart, modern locomotive is a welcomed addition to the company’s current active fleet, which consists of 4 modern, electric LE 5100 hp Softronic locomotives, 5 classic electric LE 5100 hp Electroputere Craiova engines, 10 modernized diesel electric LDE 2100 hop engines and 3 electric Siemens-Vectron locomotives, which are interoperable in Romania, Hungary, Austria and Germany.