Author:

Tiana May

Published:

2 Jan 2026

Home » News » Rolling Stock » Siemens Mobility’s Vectron Locomotive Authorised for Speeds of Up to 230 km/h

Siemens Mobility’s Vectron locomotive has received authorisation from the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) to operate passenger services at speeds of up to 230 km/h.

The approval applies to operation in Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary. Approval for Denmark is in preparation and is expected to follow at a later stage.

The decision makes Vectron the first modern locomotive platform authorised for passenger operations at this speed level under the European regulatory framework. The authorisation expands the scope of the existing Vectron platform, which has previously been approved for lower-speed passenger and freight operations across multiple countries.

First modern locomotive authorised for passenger service at speeds up to 230 km/h

© Siemens Mobility

The first operator scheduled to deploy the higher-speed Vectron in passenger service is the Czech national railway operator, ?eské dráhy (?D). The company placed an order for 50 Vectron MS multisystem locomotives in early 2022. Deliveries are currently underway, with entry into service planned from 1 January 2026.

Steffen Bobsien, Vice President Locomotives and Passenger Coaches at Siemens Mobility said:

This authorisation sets a new benchmark: Vectron is the first modern locomotive authorised for passenger service at speeds of up to 230 km/h,” said. “We are proud of this achievement, as it significantly expands the application range of our proven platform in international passenger transport and gives operators new options for fast cross-border services.

The authorised locomotives are equipped with the European Train Control System (ETCS) Baseline 3.6, using Siemens Mobility’s Trainguard 200 on-board unit. In addition to ETCS, the vehicles are fitted with the national train protection systems required for operation in each of the authorised countries, enabling cross-border passenger services without locomotive changes.

The increase in permitted operating speed has been achieved within the existing modular Vectron platform. The principal technical modification required for the 230 km/h capability is an adjustment to the gear ratio, allowing the higher top speed without fundamental changes to the overall vehicle design.

The Vectron platform has been in service for more than a decade and is used by a wide range of passenger and freight operators. To date, Siemens Mobility has sold over 2,800 Vectron locomotives to more than 110 customers. Locomotives based on the platform have accumulated approximately 1.3 billion kilometres in operation and have been approved for use in 20 European countries.

The new authorisation supports the use of locomotive-hauled passenger services on higher-speed routes, particularly for international operations where interoperability and multi-system capability are required.