Hungary has decided to refuse the purchase of locomotives from Siemens Mobility

Hungary has decided to refrain from further purchases of locomotives from Siemens Mobility

The Minister of Construction and Transport, János Lázár, explained this decision at a congress of the Hungarian Railway Union, stating, “We no longer plan to cooperate with them,” as reported by the railway magazine Railway Supply, citing Rollingstock.

He noted that this decision applies only to future purchases and will not affect current contracts.

In March 2022, Siemens Mobility won a tender to supply 115 Vectron electric locomotives to the national carrier MAV-Start.

The private rail freight sector dominates the market

The first electric locomotives are expected to be put into operation as early as next year. Siemens locomotives have been used in Hungary since the 2000s, with MAV-Start and GySEV being the customers.

János Lázár also stated that the government will soon present a 10-year plan to renew the MAV-Start fleet, which will require significant financing.

He added that currently, about one-third of locomotives and one-quarter of trains in the Hungarian railway network are out of service.

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