European Loc Pool Orders 20 More Stadler EuroDual Locomotives, Expanding Fleet to 144

European Loc Pool (ELP), the Swiss locomotive leasing company, has placed a firm order with Stadler Valencia for 20 additional EuroDual hybrid locomotives, the companies confirmed this week. The deal extends ELP's EuroDual fleet to 144 units, continuing a partnership between the two companies that has run since the type's launch.

The six-axle EuroDual is a bimode locomotive that switches between electric and diesel traction, letting operators avoid locomotive changes on non-electrified track and during first- and last-mile freight movements. The new units will be homologated for use in Germany, Austria, Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia.

The order lands shortly after EuroDual secured fresh approvals in Slovenia and Croatia, markets ELP and Stadler have flagged as central to developing freight flows linking Central Europe, the Adriatic and the Balkans toward Türkiye. For an operator already running one of Europe's largest hybrid locomotive fleets, the expansion signals continued confidence in bimode traction as a way to bridge electrified and non-electrified corridors without costly infrastructure upgrades, at a time when European freight operators are under pressure to cut both emissions and turnaround times.