With a Siemens Vectron Dual Mode, RailAdventure gains new possibilities for combined operation on electrified and non-electrified lines.
Munich, March 2026 – RailAdventure, Europe’s specialist for exceptional rail transportation, is strengthening its own fleet with a powerful Siemens Vectron Dual Mode dual-power locomotive. Following the conclusion of the contract in March, the special locomotive is expected to enter service in the fourth quarter of 2026.
“For RailAdventure, the Vectron Dual Mode is above all an investment in productivity and flexibility,” emphasizes RailAdventure Managing Director Harald Klein. “With the Vectron Dual Mode, we can guarantee faster rotations and support our customers even more efficiently. Overall, the locomotive is an excellent fit for the journeys we make for our customers.”
Siemens Mobility presented the Vectron Dual Mode for the first time at InnoTrans 2018. As the addition “Dual Mode” suggests, alternating use as an electric or diesel locomotive is possible: purely electric operation on electrified sections of track saves fuel, reduces emissions and lowers maintenance costs. It is then possible to switch to diesel operation on sections of track without overhead lines.
In Germany, for example, the degree of electrification is increasing, but is currently only just over 60 percent. With the Vectron Dual Mode, such gaps can be bridged without the need for time-consuming locomotive changes – a solution that is both economical and sustainable.
“The Vectron Dual Mode is perfect for RailAdventure’s operational business because it has sufficient traction power for our transfer business and can switch freely between electric and diesel traction,” confirms RailAdventure Managing Director Jörg Schurig. “Strategically, this means fewer locomotive changes, more flexible scheduling, lower costs and a better environmental balance. In addition, we can use the new locomotive for further test runs and thus help to continuously expand the area of use in Europe.”
The dual-power locomotive is currently approved by the European Railway Agency in Germany, Austria and cross-border traffic between the two countries. Other countries are to follow, and in the specific case of the model ordered by RailAdventure, approvals are also planned for Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
The dual-mode version is based on the proven Vectron platform. The track width is 1,435 millimetres, the weight around 90 tons. The locomotive is designed for the 15 kV AC voltage system and is equipped with the ETCS train control system. With traction power at the wheel of up to 2,000 kW in diesel mode and 2,400 kW in overhead line mode, the top speed is 160 km/h. A 2,600-liter tank is installed for the 2,400 kW diesel engine. The locomotives are produced at the Siemens Mobility plant in Munich-Allach.
(Original picture credits: Siemens Mobility GmbH)
Figure: possible depiction of the Siemens Vectron Dual Mode in RailAdventure design
With the Siemens Vectron Dual Mode dual-mode locomotive, RailAdventure increases both productivity and flexibility.
About RailAdventure
As a neutral service provider, RailAdventure deals with the high-quality handling of test and transfer runs for the rail industry. The company has specially developed assets for this purpose: RailAdventure owns locomotives, coupling adapters and brake vans, as well as the proprietary and patented Loco Buggy transport system for the transportation of vehicles with other track gauges. The permanent and mostly multilingual employees include specially trained locomotive drivers, technicians and test managers. RailAdventure GmbH is a member of the German Railway Industry Association (VDB). In addition to the headquarters in Pullach in Munich and the train hotel in Braunschweig, including its own underfloor lathe, there are foreign branches in France, Great Britain and the Netherlands.
Further information is available at www.railadventure.de
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