CFL cargo strengthens its international traction capabilities

First CFL cargo locomotives equipped with a “multi-system” feature Germany-Luxembourg- Poland are circulating across Europe. This innovation encourages the modal shift from road to rail.

CFL cargo SA, European railway undertaking, homologates first Germany-Luxembourg-Poland multi-system locomotives, effectively facilitating international rail traffics and thus further promoting the shift from road transport to the much more sustainable rail transport mode.

In their final configuration, CFL cargo’s new locomotives are unique: They will be the very first locomotives capable in Europe of international traffics on the North-South and West-East axis, thanks to their multi-system feature. While the European Union Agency for Railways urges that a well-established cross-border railway system is the foundation of European transnational mobility, the agency also admits that the lack of interoperability of the rail network constitutes arguably one of the biggest barriers to accomplishing better connectivity1.

This impediment significantly inhibits the shift from road to rail which would put us, collectively, closer to our goals in reducing freight transport’s carbon footprint. In an effort to provide a short-term, tangible solution to this larger problem at hand, CFL cargo worked closely with Alstom to homologate a locomotive which will be able to bridge the gap between different national rail infrastructures.

The locomotives are, for now, homologated for Luxembourg, Germany and Poland, with deployment plans to France, Austria and Belgium in the near future. CFL cargo plans to integrate these new locomotives in a strategy which aims to combine and optimize the group’s resources by running both intermodal and conventional trains on its corridors. In addition, equipped with hybrid technology, these new locomotives will also make it possible to operate the first and last mile on non-electrified sections. With the Traxx MS3, CFL cargo aims to strengthen the robustness and performance of its trains. The homogenisation of the locomotive fleet will also make it possible to gain in flexibility and therefore in the quality of services.

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