Switzerland: Stadler to Deliver Additional Metre-Gauge Locomotives to MBC

Stadler is building two additional metre-gauge locomotives for Transports de la région Morges–Bière–Cossonay (MBC).

The hybrid locomotives are scheduled for delivery at the end of 2028 and will be used for freight transport between Morges and Bière, supporting the cantonal strategy to shift more goods to rail.

MBC has commissioned Stadler to supply the new locomotives, which can run on overhead electric lines as well as diesel engines in areas without electrification, such as gravel pits. The vehicles will operate on the Bière–Apples–Morges line.

Frédéric Evequoz, Tailormade Sales Manager at Stadler said:

The new locomotives are an important step towards climate-friendly freight transport in the canton of Vaud. We are delighted to be building a total of three vehicles for MBC. The order underlines our expertise in the field of tailor-made vehicles. I would like to thank MBC for their trust and excellent cooperation.

Each 64-tonne, 17-metre-long locomotive has a top speed of 80 kilometres per hour, a starting tractive effort of 220 kilonewtons, and a maximum power output of 3 megawatts. The locomotives are suitable for metre-gauge freight transport and for roll-on-roll-off operations, which allow standard-gauge wagons to be carried on special rollers over metre-gauge tracks.

MBC previously ordered one hybrid locomotive at the end of 2024. The new locomotives will replace older vehicles and contribute to the cantonal goal of transporting more freight by rail.

Pierre-Alain Perren, Managing Director of MBC said:

The shift from road to rail freight transport is a significant step forward for the environment and will reduce traffic on the roads in the Morges district by some 20,000 lorries per year.

The locomotives are part of a standard family developed by Stadler in cooperation with several Swiss narrow-gauge railways. In addition to MBC, the Montreux–Berner Oberland-Bahn (MOB), the Rhaetian Railway (RhB), and the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (MGBahn) have placed orders for similar vehicles. This coordinated approach allows railways to benefit from efficiencies in design, production, and maintenance, while still accommodating specific requirements for each customer.