MÁV-Start has signed a public procurement contract to purchase 115 new Vectron electric locomotives from Siemens Mobility Kft. and Siemens Mobility Austria GmbH with a more favorable offer than the cost estimate.
The framework agreement with the Ministry for Innovation and Technology stipulates that the supply contracts will be signed this year and the first locomotives will be delivered in 2024.
The new locomotives will also be used for the IC+ cars manufactured in Szolnok. The construction of more than 400 IC+ cars will completely innovate long-distance rail transport and make domestic rail transport faster, more reliable and more comfortable. The Vectron locomotives will have operating permits in 10 countries. Many of the locomotive’s functions are computer-assisted.
The government will spend around HUF 2,000 billion (EUR 5 billion) on modernizing the railway fleet over the coming years. Since 2010, the total length of electrified railway lines in Hungary has increased by more than 500 km to around 3,200 km and works are continuing. In addition, track renewal projects worth HUF 100 billion (EUR 265 million) are currently underway, which will enable the trains to travel more than 500 km at a speed of 160 km/h.