The Green Freight Challenge: FS Group's major plan to Modernize its fleet

With 400 new locomotives and 3,600 cars, the average age will drop from 30 to 7 years

 

Four hundred new electric and hybrid locomotives and 3,600 next-generation wagons to rejuvenate the freight transport fleet of the FS Group, reducing the average age from 30 to 7 years. This is the green plan of Polo Logistica, the FS Group's logistics division, to provide a strong boost to the sustainability of logistics and achieve one of the objectives of the Group's Industrial Plan, led by CEO Luigi Ferraris: to double the amount of freight transported by train by 2030. Among the first necessary steps is to make the fleet younger and more efficient by renewing it with 400 new locomotives, which consume 25% less than the previous ones, and a new generation of 3,600 wagons. The introduction of new vehicles will also result in an increase of 3.6 billion tonne*km of freight on rail over the next 10 years.
Not by chance, 80% of the Polo Logistica's investments in the FS Group are allocated to fleet renewal, amounting to a total of €2.5 billion, with an additional investment of €70 million for the technological upgrade of already operational vehicles. The renewal has already started: by the end of the year, 160 new wagons will enter into service for intermodal services and for international routes. These new vehicles have been designed according to the interoperability technical specifications in force on the European rail network and are equipped with an innovative telematics monitoring system for key operational parameters, already used on over 800 wagons of Mercitalia Logistics.

 

 

ELECTRIC AND HYBRID LOCOMOTIVES

By the end of the year, starting in October, four new, next-generation interoperable locomotives will enter into service at Mercitalia Rail, in addition to the ten already in service, bringing the total to 14 locomotives that will improve cross-border freight transit along rail corridors from Italy to Germany through Austria, and to the Netherlands through Switzerland and Germany.
These new-generation locomotives are multi-voltage and meet the safety standards of the countries they cross. This saves time because along the freight routes, only the crew needs to be changed, not the vehicle. The Group's European company, TX Logistics, headquartered in Germany, will purchase 80 new interoperable locomotives over the course of the plan, doubling the fleet to support the growth of international freight traffic. Mercitalia Rail, Italy’s largest player in the sector, will receive the most intense rejuvenation: over the next 10 years, 300 new locomotives and 2,860 new wagons are planned.

 

 

HYBRID SHUNTING LOCOMOTIVES

By 2031, Mercitalia Shunting and Terminal will also see the entry into service of 32 new locomotives for shunting within freight terminals and ports: they can be equipped to carry out the last mile of rail transport, penetrating directly into non-electrified areas such as ports, connecting rail transport directly with other modes of transport.

 

 

€70 MILLION FOR WAGON MODERNIZATION

Additionally, the modernization program launched in 2020 for the Mercitalia Intermodal fleet of wagons is nearing completion, with the upgrade of approximately 240 "Sgnss" wagons, which involves replacing the cast-iron brake blocks (noisier) with synthetic brake blocks (quieter), employing one of the most modern braking systems, and using the latest-generation "thermostable" cabins and complete repainting of the fleet. With the "Sgnss" wagons, Mercitalia Intermodal transports all types of containers and swap bodies, up to 72 tonnes of cargo per wagon, at a maximum speed of 120 km/h, in compliance with the most recent interoperability technical standards, significantly reducing noise emissions during braking. A significant boost for intermodal transport: by 2025, over 90% of the Mercitalia Intermodal fleet will be equipped with onboard telematics systems, capable of transforming traditional wagons into intelligent systems that transmit real-time information on operational parameters, component status, and wagon location. Thanks to an autonomous power supply system, sensors, and modern communication technologies, Mercitalia Intermodal will be able to implement predictive maintenance models for managing its wagon fleet, thus improving operational efficiency and making rail freight transport more sustainable.