In 2023, Railcolor News extensively informed you about the near future of NMBS/SNCB’s fleet of leased Traxx locomotives. We mostly discussed minor beautifications to the existing fleet of twelve locomotives leased from Alpha Trains. The article concluded with exciting news being on the horizon, including new locomotives and new designs – about which we have more details:
This article was first published on 11.09.2024 and updated on 17.09.2024 and on 09.12.2024; scroll down for the update.
What is happening? The Belgian Federal Railways SNCB/NMBS wants to start its own, new direct trains connecting Brussels and Rotterdam in December 2024. These will operate alongside the NS ICNG-B trains on the same route. Eventually, SNCB/NMBS wants to use Alstom TRAXX 3 MS electrics (Class 17) and I11 passenger coaches. However, these new locomotives are still under development (one machine was seen at Alstom’s in Kassel last week).
The temporary solution is to use the I11 coaches with Traxx MS2e (186). SNCB/NMBS currently has 12 such machines under contract (2802-2813 = Alpha Train 186 124-125, 196-205), which will be replaced by the ICNG-Bs in the following months (most likely), so these will be available. But twelve is not enough (the trains will run in sandwich formation with two locomotives each), so extra machines will be leased:
SNCB/NMBS is getting Alpha Trains 186 119-122 (coming over from NS). The most interesting thing for us, Railcolor, is that they get a repaint as they had the blue-yellow NS design. On 16.09.2024, Albert Koch was able to portray the repainted 186 119 in Amsterdam (the repainting occurs at the Zaanstraat workshops).
Still missing, however, are logos, SNCB fleet numbers and a VKM.
Update 09.12.2024: SNCB logo added
On 07.12.2024, Gwenaël Piérart was able to portray the 186 120 in Bruxelles-Midi. This loco now has a road number and SNCB logo on both sides and fronts.
- E 186 119 = SNCB 2869 > At first two small logos, now replaced by one big side logo;
- E 186 120 = SNCB 2870 > At first two small logos, now replaced by one big side logo;
- E 186 121 = SNCB 2871 > no side logos so far;
- E 186 122 = SNCB 2872 > no side logos so far;
Related posts:
[passenger] This December you get a choice – NS and NMBS both introduce new trains connecting Brussels and the Netherlands
[BE] Step by step: More personality for NMBS/SNCB TRAXX locomotives [extended]
[Data] The Railpool TRAXX MS2e fleet of Lineas [edited]
[BE] Medway Belgium has started – Alpha Trains locomotives leased [updatedx3]
