Serbia is directing new railway financing toward rolling stock as national passenger operator Srbijavoz prepares to expand international rail services with six new electric locomotives. European railway financing institution EUROFIMA has provided €12 million in 10-year financing for six Siemens Vectron A17 multi-system locomotives. The financing represents the first tranche under a broader framework for their acquisition. The locomotives are certified for operation in Serbia, Hungary, Austria and Germany, enabling trains to cross national borders without locomotive changes between the different railway and electrical systems.
Vectron Fleet Designed for International Services
Each locomotive will have 6.4 MW of power, a maximum operating speed of 200 km/h and ETCS Level 2 signalling equipment. The new rolling stock is intended for international passenger services, with deliveries expected during June and July 2027. Srbijavoz has also pointed to the age of part of its existing locomotive fleet, with some units having been in operation for more than 40 years. The technical configuration of the Vectron locomotives allows Srbijavoz to use the same traction equipment across services linking Serbia with Hungary and onward destinations in Austria and Germany.
Rolling Stock Added to Railway Modernisation
The locomotive acquisition comes after extensive investment in Serbia’s railway infrastructure, including reconstruction and modernisation along the corridor running north from Belgrade through Novi Sad and Subotica toward Hungary.
Infrastructure upgrades alone do not provide international passenger services. Cross-border operations also require compatible signalling, approved rolling stock, border procedures and coordinated timetables between railway networks. The new Vectrons address the rolling-stock component of that system by allowing trains to operate across multiple national railway and electrical standards without changing locomotives at borders.
Financing Supports Cross-Border Rail Operations
The €12 million EUROFIMA financing is the first tranche within a wider financing framework for the six-locomotive acquisition. The investment is directed toward equipment required to operate on international corridors, complementing Serbia’s spending on tracks, stations and other railway infrastructure. Further operational requirements remain dependent on infrastructure commissioning, signalling compatibility, border procedures, timetables and cooperation between railway operators. The six locomotives form a relatively small fleet compared with the broader infrastructure investment, but their certification for Serbia, Hungary, Austria and Germany gives Srbijavoz rolling stock capable of operating across the borders served by the upgraded railway network.
