Friday next week, Hector Rail will get two more ES 64 U2 locomotives delivered from MRCE: ES 64 U2-002 and 004 will be handed over to the Swedish operator. The future 242.502 will get the name 'Zurg', unit 504 will be 'Mr Potato Head'. One of these machines will go to Sweden, one will stay in Germany. 242.516 will transfer to Sweden. - Hector Rail / PT

With these machines, Hector Rail will own seven such machines. Yesterday, Hector Rail published the news about its purchase of 42 passenger coaches from the Netherlands. It is clear, Hector Rail widens its scope. The operator from Sweden is predominantly active in freight traffic, but also provides traction for Veolia passenger trains in Sweden. Now it takes this last activity one step further:

Hector Rail buys 42 passenger coaches for 200 km/h: Since 2007 Hector Rail provides traction for passenger trains in Sweden. Hector Rail has in recent years invested in seven locomotives approved for up to 230 km/h. More and more service providers are exploring opportunities in the fully liberalized Swedish rail passenger market. Hector Rail has decided to extend its offering from traction only to whole train sets approved for 200 km/h. Used coaches purchased in Holland can be upgraded according to a service provider’s requirements.

Hector Rail will not enter the rail passenger market itself. The intention is to offer a complete train system to a service provider who is interested in not only creating a cost-effective, but also a fast and comfortable travel market offering. The technical standard and interior can be adapted on the targeted passenger market segments.

Railcolor: The coaches mentioned must be the former Bm235's of the German railways. From 2001 until 2009 they were used as type ICK by the Dutch railways, at that moment suffering from rolling stock shortage. For this purpose 150 coaches were bought and rebuilt. Most of these coaches are currently parked at Nijmegen (NL).

MWB 1116 911 and 912, MRCE Dispolok/TXL ES 64 U2-011 and 029, and HUPAC/Raildox ES 64 U2-100 are called in at Berlin-Grünau, as shown on the pictures. - SC/Stadler Rail Hupac ES 64 U2 MRCE ES64U2 MWB 1116

Now, the hkx will adjust its pricing to the actual usage of the train. This means that the very last tickets of a train will get more expensive, and the further you book in advance of your trip, the cheaper the ticket. hkx now wants to invest in the relation with its new customers, hoping that it will be a loyal one.

Of course we got many images of the ES 64 U2s in service of the hkx. A selection:

MRCE ES64U2

BTW Elektrolok.de brings more images from Linz. GySEV 470 InRail + FuoriMuro 190 MRCE ES64U2 SZ 541

Normally, 109 series locomotives from the Georg Verkehrsorganisation (GVG) are being used for this train, but they are all out of order at this moment. The often unused ES 64 U2 locomotive (004 > 030 > 026 > 036) hired by Veolia/OLA for hkx training, is therefore called in as substitute. They haul this EN from Berlin to Sassnitz. - SC MRCE ES64U2

Before the end of 2012, Siemens will equips thirty ES64U2 locomotives of the leasing company Mitsui Rail Capital Europe B.V. (MRCE) with the ATP/ATC system Trainguard 200 (ETCS level 2). The vehicles are to be operated on the Brenner line between Innsbruck and Bozen. - MRCE

Railcolor: ETCS will be obligatory for this section. MRCE needs its 'Bosporus' Sprinters therefore equipped with ETCS, so they will stay fully homologated for Austria. MRCE ES64U2

For only two months, ES64U2-019 was operated by EBG. At the end of 2002 the EBG, like the WAB property of L.Guttwein, was responsible for hauling the night services between Berlijn and Malmo, operated by GVG Verkehrsgesellschaft mbH. The EBG therefore rented a ES 64 U2 locomotive. Before the 019 with EBG logos arrived, the ES64U2 005 (leased from Rail4Chem) was used to haul the night trains. Per 11.2002 the contract between GVG and EBG ended and GVG decided to haul the trains themselves and therefore bought some used locos (former DB Baureihe 109) from Bombardier.

At that time, the 019 had the standard Dispolok design. The 019 was the last Dispolok ES 64 U2 with a old-style LZB-number (1116 719). Also it was the first Dispolok locomotive that no longer carried the brand-name KraussMaffei. MRCE ES64U2

On 15.12.2002 the German Railways decided, despite many protests, to terminate all InterRegio services. Some were upgraded to InterCity or even ICE services, but many were simply deleted. This offered new opportunities for open access operators. The Norddeutsche Nahverkehrsgesellschaft (NNVG) for example founded Flex AG, that started the Flensburg Express (FLEX) on the Flensburg-Hamburg connection.

Services started on 15.12.2002. FLEX hired five Dispolok locomotives (ES 64 U2-019, -021, -023, -098 and -099) and bought several InterRegio coaches from the DB. These were modernized and repainted in the orange/grey FLEX-livery. Locomotive ES 64 U2-099 served as spare.

But it did not last long. On 12.08.2003, FLEX AG went bankrupt. In September the Nord-Ostsee-Bahn (NOB) took over the service, renamed as Flensburg Express. In September-December 2003, all Dispolok locomotives were returned to Siemens. They were replaced by Connex locomotives 185 515 and 516 and Dispolok 1116 063 and 064.Before these locos arrived a lot of other units helped out on the Flensburg Express. The KEG was there to assist the with the ES64U2 025 and also the ES64U2 080 in CargoServ design was used. In March 2004 the new ES 64 U2-034 and -035 replaced 1116 063 and 064.

On 11.12.2005, the DB took over again with the Schleswig-Holstein-Express (SCHLEX). MRCE ES64U2

They are assisted by four ES 64 U2s now, as no. -018 has joined. This engine is still yellow and silver. MRCE ES64F4 MRCE ES64U2

In the first days we only saw ES 64 F4-843 and -844 in service, now the -842 has joined. MRCE ES64U2

Last week Hector Rail published the news that it has been contracted by Veolia to haul their Stockholm and Malmö-services (and some special trains winter resort areas in Northern Sweden) for the next five years. Hector Rail also states that it will provide locomotives with a vmax of 200 kph from this fall.

Hector Rail owns two types of locomotives that could deliver, when adjusted and approved; the 141 series (ex OBB 1012) and the recently purchased ES 64 U2s (soon to be the new 242 series). Three 242s will be available for the Veolia contract. The current status, afawk:

ES 64 U2-031 > running in Germany as 182.531 'LaMotta', repainted with high-performance text
ES 64 U2-003 > in Linz, Austria for overhaul and refitting, repainted in April 2011
ES 64 U2-016 > running in Germany als 242.516 'Ferdinand', repainted, no high-performance text
ES 64 U2-017 > since 05.05.2011 property of Hector Rail, running for Hector Rail, black livery
ES 64 U2-032 > to be purchased (planned)

More recent information is always welcome. Hector Rail 242 MRCE ES64U2

Other news: Designers are working on a new logo for the leasing company. This is why some recently repainted units have no logos anymore. MRCE ES64F4 MRCE ES64U2

ER 20-005, -008, -009, -013 and -014
ES 64 U2-026 and -067
ES 64 F4-006 (VH), -010 (VD), -021 (VD), -028 (VK), -029 (VI, no service numbers), -033 (VK), -094 (VE) and -098 (VE)
189 090, 092, 093, 094, and 095 (all VJ). 189 093-095 now have a Veolia-livery
If there are any more, please let us know!

MRCE ER 20 MRCE ES64F4 MRCE ES64U2

MRCE ES64U2

Today however, for the first time an MRCE ES64U2 electric and two MRCE ER20 diesel-electric locomotives had their roll-out in black, in Berlin, where all machines are repainted by German company Dangelmayer. All three machines are exaclty painted as described above. For the ES64U2 machine (built for 15kV and 25kV AC voltage systems only) this is quite remarkable as this type is not able to run in the Netherlands (1,5kV DC) nor in Italy (3kV DC). Still it has white and red front-ends. MRCE is therefore very strict when it comes down to applying the corporate identity, but maybe also wants to show that it is ready for the future, where new 25kV AC-only corridors will be available all over Europe.

The machines that left Berlin today with the new MRCE look are ES64U2 026 and ER20 005 and 008. The latter one was immediately rented out to IGE Bahntouristik, and used for commercial services on the very same day. It replaces ER20 013 by IGE, which is now to Berlin for blackening. Also ES64U2 067 has arrived in Berlin.

In the next months we will try to keep up with the changes concerning the ambitious MRCE repainting plan, and with drawings we will visualize the consequences for the machines. As many ES64U2 carry customer specific logos, promotional adhesives or even complete liveries, it will be interesting how this will be combined with the new black trend. - DSO/Bahnforum/SS MRCE ER 20 MRCE ES64U2

Mitsui Rail Capital Europe B.V. in Amsterdam (MRCE) and Dispolok GmbH in Munich (Dispolok) will take an important step in integrating their locomotive leasing operations as of April 1, 2008.

MRCE successfully established in October 2004 as a subsidiary of Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (Mitsui) for locomotive leasing operation in Europe, and Dispolok, acquired by Mitsui in October 2006, will integrate their operations to create one of the largest European locomotive operating lessors and service providers with more than 200 locomotives already delivered to customers in more than 10 countries in Europe.

The integration will comprise a transfer of all leasing operations to Munich, which will be renamed MRCE Dispolok GmbH (MRCE Dispolok), and a concentration of all corporate operations in Amsterdam, which will continue to carry the name of Mitsui Rail Capital Europe B.V. All day-to-day locomotive lease operations including sales & marketing, fleet management, logistics management and service & maintenance management for the entire fleet of MRCE and MRCE Dispolok will be centralized in Munich, while the marketing and technology strategy & development, business administration, financing and budgeting, locomotive procurement and ownership will be homed in Amsterdam. Current MRCE sales staff will be operationally assigned to MRCE Dispolok but physically remain in Amsterdam to be closer to core customers in North & Western Europe. All shares of Mitsui in Dispolok will be transferred to MRCE. A new corporate identity and logo design will be introduced including the unification of the entire fleet to a black color scheme.

This integration is to combine the industrial and financial strength of MRCE and Dispolok and to establish the basis for further expansion and diversification.􃧹r. Miki, the current CEO of MRCE and future Managing Director, Group CEO of MRCE explained: “The integration will be mainly driven by using best the existing expertise and capabilities at the actual locations and we have not been chasing a holding structure but more a vertical concentration into corporate and market functions”. Mr. Stahl, the current President and COO of MRCE and future Managing Director, Group Marketing & Strategy of MRCE outlined: “This will be to combine the strength of both while eliminating weakness. We think to have created an organization which by operations has an unparalleled depth of know-how and functions in this specific market and commit to spearhead market development to all aspects in favor of our business partners”. Dr. Breinl, the current COO of Dispolok and future Chief Officer, Group Technology, Development of MRCE added;” We are leading ETCS development having invested in a very promising and future oriented design and configuration for our fleet and have started to look into a different design of locomotives”.

For the near future, MRCE will focus on the European Rail new development by supporting and assisting privately and nationally held railways to regain transportation market shares, while endeavoring to protect the environment, as well as to improve the efficiency of the supply of goods to meet the growing demands of the society. In close cooperation with Mitsui, MRCE is planning to diversify into various new business segments related to rail freight transportation.

We value your patronage and believe that this new and more focused structure will broaden and strengthen our ability to be of service for you. We want to be on your side wherever you need us. - MRCE ex MThB/SBB Cargo series MRCE 185.1 MRCE 185.2 MRCE ER 20 MRCE ES64F4 MRCE ES64U2 MRCE Re484