MSC has ordered 15 new electric locomotives for its newest MEDWAY branch in Belgium, expanding its rail fleet.
The new locomotives aim to improve capacity at the Northwest Continent gateway and will be used for cross-border freight transport in Europe, as well as to complement container transit by sea in supplying Antwerp’s eastern hinterland.
Salvatore Prudente, Executive Director of MEDWAY, said: “MSC continues to invest at a European level via its MEDWAY arm to strengthen its intermodal offering, improving its capacity to serve clients not only with its core deep-sea solutions, but also inland.
“Improving these areas provides our customers with a portfolio of services and solutions designed to simplify and support their supply chain.
“Our teams of experts are constantly monitoring both customer needs and market trends and we see a great deal of sense in investing in our intermodal capabilities, as customers are increasingly encouraged to move overland cargo by rail.”
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The Vectron MS locomotives, manufactured by Siemens Mobility, have a a top speed of 160 kilometres per hour.
“With their record for reliability and flexibility, our Vectron locomotives enable sustainable cross-border freight transport throughout Europe,” stated Albrecht Neumann, CEO Rolling Stock, Siemens Mobility.
The new locomotives will be deployed in an East-West direction, enhancing connectivity and capacity between Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, and Poland, as well as landlocked central and eastern countries such as Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia.
MEDWAY Belgium, a subsidiary of MSC’s inland logistics partner MEDLOG, commenced operations in July 2022 as a licenced goods train operator in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, and Austria.
MEDWAY is now a rail operator in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Portugal, Spain, and Italy, and also has rolling stock in Turkey and India that is run by partners.
In July 2023, Atlas Air, Inc., a subsidiary of Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc., announced the delivery of a Boeing 777-200 Freighter to MSC.
