Much-needed upgrade: modern Eurosprinter trains to arrive to Hungary

In the near future, the MÁV-START Group will lease 9 Siemens Eurosprinter trains, thereby expanding its existing fleet to a total of 24 trains. Speculation is already rife regarding the lines on which the new locomotives will operate.

The internet magazine Indóház Online (iho.hu) has received news that the MÁV-START Group, Hungary’s state-owned railway company, intends to further expand its fleet of Siemens Eurosprinter electric locomotives.

Currently, there are 15 state-of-the-art, high-powered electric locomotives in the country, all of which are used trains in good condition, presently leased by the MÁV-START Group.

Contracts were finalised between MÁV Rail Tours, a subsidiary of the group, and Akiem SAS, a French-based company specialising in leasing railway vehicles. MÁV-START, in turn, uses the locomotives under an existing cooperation agreement with MÁV Rail Tours Ltd.

The Eurosprinter train waiting in Zugló
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Iho.hu queried MÁV about the forthcoming leasing of new Eurosprinter trains, to which the railway company responded:

“Short-term solutions are also necessary to alleviate the vehicle shortage; therefore, as previously planned, we will use the option as part of the leasing of the 15 used Siemens Eurosprinter ES64 U2 V7 type dual-current, high-power electric locomotives chartered from Akiem, allowing nine more vehicles to be delivered to MÁV-START.”

Leasing Eurosprinter trains was a necessity for the Hungarian railway company

These new Siemens electric locomotives started operations in the second half of October 2023 in Hungary. They had to be put into service primarily because, as of December of that year, Austria ceased to accept trains on its domestic lines lacking onboard equipment capable of employing the European Train Control System Level 2 (ETCS L2).

ETCS L2 is a radio-based signalling and control system that monitors the train’s position and direction, enabling continuous communication between the train and the trackside. ETCSs can convey all trackside information to the driver’s cab, eliminating the need for trackside signals, which lays the groundwork for future automatic train operation.

Although, as iho.hu previously explained, MÁV has several modern locomotives, none of them is equipped with this equipment. However, the Siemens ES64U2 Eurosprinters, which were first deployed in 2004, were equipped with ETCS L2 around 2008.

The Eurosprinter train arrives at Keleti Station.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Where will the new trains operate?

“The vehicles will be in continuous service following technical preparation,” MÁV stated. “We plan to operate the locomotives primarily on international services. At this stage of the technical discussions, we are unable to furnish further information. Our objective remains to put new locomotives into service as soon as possible on the most advantageous terms, and we are not abandoning the acquisition of new rolling stock.”

The modern Eurosprinter trains initially operated in the eastern part of Hungary, primarily on domestic InterCity lines, where they are authorised to operate at speeds of 160 km/h. However, they can also access networks in Germany, Austria, Romania, Croatia and Serbia. According to iho.hu, they will predominantly operate as EuroCity trains to Vienna, as well as serving other parts of Austria, to offset the mileage of Austrian Railjet-Taurus carriages in Hungary.