České dráhy has taken over the final, 50th Vectron 384 series locomotive from Siemens Mobility

České dráhy has symbolically taken over the final, already the 50th, Siemens Vectron high-speed locomotive from Siemens Mobility at the turntable in Vršovice, Prague. This means the completion of the delivery of the fleet of multi-system locomotives with a maximum speed of 230 km/h, in accordance with the contract from 2022.  České dráhy is gradually introducing the new Vectrons into service on both domestic and international routes.

“With the handover of the fiftieth and final Vectron of the 384 series, we are completing an important phase in the modernisation of our locomotive fleet. In just under a year since the arrival of the first locomotive, we have succeeded in putting them into full-scale operation, not only on domestic routes but also abroad. We are operating them from Budapest to Hamburg, and in future we intend to extend their service even further, all the way to Copenhagen. The Vectrons have proved themselves to be reliable and fast locomotives in our services. They have replaced older types of electric locomotives and have become the backbone of our fleet of traction vehicles,” says Jiří Ješeta, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors and Deputy Director General of České dráhy for Passenger Transport, adding: “I would like to thank Siemens Mobility for the excellent level of cooperation throughout implementation of the entire project. However, we still have a few steps left to complete during the putting into service of the modern vehicles, such as the launch of push-pull services together with the ComfortJet units.”

“Today we are handing over to České dráhy the final, fiftieth Vectron locomotive capable of speeds of 230 km/h, and this marks another very significant milestone for us in the long-term cooperation between Siemens Mobility and České dráhy. České dráhy was the first customer for Vectron locomotives designed for this speed. We highly appreciate its trust in our vehicles and, at the same time, value the collaboration and experience gained from day-to-day operations, which help us to further develop and optimise the Vectron platform. Already now, Vectron locomotives are proving their qualities in international service. However, a high-quality servicing infrastructure is just as important a part of their success. I am pleased that we have managed to build a top-class team of servicing specialists in the Czech Republic, who ensure maximum operational availability of the vehicles with the help of modern digital tools. Furthermore, the preventive maintenance interval for these new locomotives has been extended from the original 30,000 to 37,500 kilometres, which provides the carrier with greater vehicle availability whilst maintaining the highest standards of safety and operational quality,” states Roman Kokšal, Chief Executive Officer of Siemens Mobility, Czech Republic.

The operation of the new Vectron 384 series locomotives will continue to expand. České dráhy plans to include services to such destinations as Hamburg, Budapest, Vienna, Linz, Kraków and Przemyśl in the 2027 timetable. Preliminary plans envisage the rotational deployment of up to 43 of the 50 locomotives, with an annual mileage exceeding 14 million km. As for the “slower” D-193 series Vectrons, up to 46 of the 61 locomotives are expected to be deployed, with an annual mileage exceeding 12.5 million km. Together, the two Vectron series should cover approximately 70% of České dráhy’s electric locomotive requirements and account for around 80% of its performance in terms of kilometres travelled.

České dráhy and Siemens Mobility entered into a contract in 2022 for the supply of 50 locomotives, which also includes 15 years of servicing support for the new locomotives. Vectron locomotives are among the most popular electric locomotives in Europe. They are equipped and ready for operation under the supervision of the ETCS control system, which has been mandatory on selected sections of Czech corridors since January 2025, and the locomotives also use it on some international railway lines.

Basic characteristics

• Max. speed: 230 km/h
• Power output: 6.4 MW
• Power supply system: 3 kV DC, 25 kV 50 Hz AC, 15 kV 16.7 Hz AC
• Countries: Czechia, Slovakia, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Poland; Denmark (20 items)
• Train control system: ETCS and national systems (e.g. PZB / LZB, Mirel, Shp)
• Communication system: GSM-R
• Equipment for push-pull operation with ComfortJet and Railjet trainsets