Hector Rail has entered into an agreement with Skandinaviska Jernbanor (SkJB) to haul their so-called "Blue Train" (Blå Tåget) between Stockholm and Gothenburg. This means that the Blue Train is back on the market from and including 11 December 2016. SkJB, the company behind the "Blue Train", has decided to hire Hector Rail as responsible for the formal train production including providing traction. SkJB will focus on its core business, the travel experience.

Initially, 13 round trips per week will be produced. Five of these round trips are done with the, from a service level, somewhat less advanced, "Green Train" (Gröna tåget). The number of trains can be increased during the five-year contract period. - Hector Rail

Railcolor: Earlier this year SkJB was forced to cease its blue/green train services after Transportstyrelsen from Sweden decided to withdraw SkJB's safety certificates (part A and B) after finding severe shortcomings in the safety management system of the operator. SkJB managed to operate the trains a little longer but in the end had to stop the trains during the summer.

The Blå Tåget and Gröna tåget trains services can continue, for now. Earlier, Transportstyrelsen decided to withdraw safety certificates A und B of passenger rail operator Skandinaviska Jernbanor (SkJb), due to severe shortcomings in its safety management.

On 15.07.2016, the administrative court of Falun decided that SkJb was allowed to continue. Indeed, the judge subscribed the problems with the qualification and training of the personnel, but concluded that this would not immediately result in big risks. Transportstyrelsen's next step is still unknown.

Transportstyrelsen from Sweden has decided to withdraw the safety certificates (part A and B) op rail operator Skandinaviska Jernbanor (SkJB). This means SkJB will has stop all its train services as of 05.07.2016. Transportstyrelsen has found severe shortcomings in the safety management system of SkJB.

At this moment, SkJB is operating open access passenger trains 'blue train' and 'green train' in Sweden. It is leasing two Vectron locomotives from Paribus (193 921 and 922).

As of 15.04.2016, Swedish passenger train operator Scandinavian Jernbanor offers a new service: the Gröna Tåget or 'green train'. It is a more economic alternative to SkJB's blue train, a luxury service running on the Göteborg-Alingsås - Skövde - Hallsberg - Stockholm- Uppsala relation.

Like its blue alternative, the green train is composed of refurbished Norwegian coaches and pulled by a Vectron locomotive. There is a bar on board, and a restaurant. And of course, the train is green!

TM Rail is a company that runs containers between Gothenburg and Örebro 5 retur trips a week. Paribus (Northrail) Vectron

Read the complete press statement here.

On 09.05.2014, funds managed by Oaktree, a leader among global investment managers specializing in alternative investments, acquired all shares of Railpool. The previous shareholders are the two banks KfW IPEX-Bank GmbH and HSH Nordbank AG, each with 50 percent. Both banks will continue to be lenders to Railpool and support the future growth of the company. The purchase price was not disclosed.

"We plan significant investments in new, innovative vehicles, the expansion of our excellent team as well as the internationalization of our business. As we continue to offer our customers modern, interoperable locomotives with an attractive full-service package, we are very pleased to welcome Oaktree as an excellent partner, who will support us strategically and financially in our plans going forward," said Torsten Lehnert.

In parallel to the acquisition of Railpool, an order for five Vectron locomotives has been placed with Siemens for delivery in the coming months. In addition, negotiations are being held with several manufacturers for the order of at least 50 additional locomotives. Paribus (Northrail) Vectron Railpool 5170 Railpool 185.2 Railpool Traxx AC3 LM Railpool TRAXX MS2e Railpool Vectron

Skandinaviska Jernbanor (SkJb) got two locomotives in December 2013, Paribus 193 921 and 922. From that moment, the 922 is with SkJb and the 921 is used by Tågab (TågÅkeriet i Bergslagen). Officially, Tågab is hiring the 921 per 01.01.2014. However, if needed, SkJb can use the 921 for its trains which happened once up til now, during a weekend.
Tågab uses the 921 for both freight and passenger trains. The image already online for some days shows the 921 with a freight train Oslo - Malmö for example. New are the images of the 921 with the 'Snötåget' (Östersund - Malmö) night train hauled by Inlandsbanan and Tågab. - KRH/KAR/DM

Paribus (Northrail) Vectron

The Vectron series of locomotives has completed its certification procedure for conventional rail transport in accordance with the Technical Specification for Interoperability TSI CR LOC&PAS. The EC certificate was presented yesterday by Ulrich Wiescholek, Head of the German notified body Eisenbahn-Cert (EBC), to Karl-Hermann Klausecker, CEO of Siemens Locomotives and Components.

“Vectron is the first electrical locomotive platform to be certified according to this specification in Europe. The certificate enormously simplifies for us the process of national approvals with regard to the expenditure and the time required. This means we have taken another important step toward approval of the Vectron throughout Europe”, said Karl-Hermann Klausecker on receiving the certificate.

The Vectron locomotives thus meet all standardized, pan-European technical specifications for the approval of locomotives. These specifications not only include the TSI CR LOC&PAS, but also the TSI HS RST for rolling stock of the trans-European high-speed rail system, Class 2 (vehicles with a maximum speed of between 190 km/h and 250 km/h), the TSI SRT (safety in rail tunnels), the TSI PRM (access for persons with restricted mobility), the noise requirements according to the TSI HS RST and the TSI NOI (rolling stock - noise) of conventional rail transport, and the TSI CCS (control, command and signaling) when using an ERTM system.

This has established the basis for obtaining the individual national approvals in Europe more easily and with considerably reduced test expenditure. At present, the approval authorities of all EU member states are aligning their national approval requirements with the TSI regulations. This means that only those national requirements that are not covered by the TSI still have to be met. These are being notified to the European Railway Agency (ERA) as National Technical Rules (NTR).

A number of customer-specific versions of the Vectron series of locomotives have already been able to obtain series approval from the German Federal Railway Authority (EBA). Thanks to the extended certification now available, all further Vectron variants pending approval at EBA can obtain continuous series approval until December 2020, after which applications can be submitted for extensions. In the case of locomotives without TSI CR LOC&PAS certification, the series approval ends in mid-2017. BoxXpress.de Vectron CargoServ Vectron DB Cargo Vectron (Poland) FuoriMuro Vectron MRCE Vectron Paribus (Northrail) Vectron Railpool Vectron Siemens Vectron locos used for test and promotion VR Group: Vectron locomotives for Finland

Paribus (Northrail) Vectron

[update] Two extra pictures. Note the additional metal plates under the frame of the locomotive.

Paribus (Northrail) Vectron

The locomotives that will be sold to Paribus are testbed locomotives Siemens 21692 - 193 921-4 and Siemens 21695 - 193 922-2. Both 200 kph AC locomotives were built in 2010. - Siemens

We already brought the news about 193 922 being repainted in the livery of Railpool.

Both locomotives will be hired to a Swedish passenger operator for at least three years, as of December 2013. They will be used for passenger services. blataget.com is mentioned as the operator.

The Vectron AC locomotives destined for the Paribus Rail Portfolio III boast a maximum tractive power rating of 6,400 kilowatts (kW) and a top speed of 200 kilometers per hour (km/h). The locomotives are suitable for both passenger and freight trains in single and multiple unit operation. Thanks to their modular design, they can also be converted or extended for use in different countries.

Once delivered, the two new locomotives will be heading straight for Sweden. They are both leased out for three years as of December 2013 with an option for a further three years to a private rail operator, which plans to integrate them into its high-speed passenger transport timetable.

A Siemens Vectron has already been hauling freight and passenger trains for some time as part of a trial being conducted in Scandinavia, where it has demonstrated very efficient traction under all weather conditions. In Sweden, a freight train weighing roughly 2,300 metric tons was hauled up a six-kilometer-long 10‰ gradient. Vectron AC locomotive 193 923, which has a power rating of 6,400 kW, developed a constant speed of 40 km/h over the entire incline without the need for sanding. - Siemens

Railcolor: Can we expect Northrail orange Vectrons?