Polo Logistica FS purchased eight DE 18 locomotives

Polo Logistica FS purchased eight Type DE 18 locomotives, manufactured by Vossloh Rolling Stock, used by Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI) in the Strait of Messina and for maintenance operations. This was announced by the companies on 21 May 2024 and Mercitalia Shunting & Terminal, a company of the FS Italiane Group's Polo Logistica, is expanding its fleet for shunting services and as rescue trains.

The DE 18 locomotives built by Vossloh Rolling Stock are already being used by Rete Ferroviaria Italiana, leader of the FS infrastructure Business Unit, for shunting work on the ferries in the Strait of Messina and by the infrastructure departments in Naples and Turin for line maintenance. The purchase of the new locomotives is part of the Polo Logistica’s investment plan to modernise and renew its fleet, with a particular focus on sustainability and environmental protection.

The DE 18s chosen by Mercitalia Shunting & Terminal are equipped with systems for demand-based power optimisation, with ETCS, SCMT and SSC, the technological systems specific to all Italian lines, which guarantee operators maximum flexibility. The locomotives Yasmina, Alessia, Barbara, Franca and Sylvana will be used on the 'Strait of Messina', while Arya, Nadia and Lucia will be used for maintenance work.

We asked Vossloh Rolling Stock:

- Where these locomotives were used initially?
"The six DE 18/D318 locomotives 2414, 2419, 2420, 2421, 2422 and 2423 have been in the availability of MIST since 2021 and partly used by RFI. They were leased and have now been sold to MIST. Since 2021, they haved been leased by RFI, now purchased by MIST. Locomotives 2424 “Silvana” and 2425 “Lucia” were leased to Captrain and have now been sold to MIST."

- Where these locomotives will be used now?
"Five DE 18s in the Strait of Messina and three between Turin and Naples."

- Why did RFI (or Mercitalia?) not procure the locomotives directly?
"RFI launched a tender but it was unsuccessful, so they decided to lease them. Mercitalia won the tender to rent them to RFI and then bought the locomotives from Vossloh Rolling Stock."

- What will RFI (or Mercitalia?) now operate instead of these eight locomotive used initially?
"The locomotives will continue to operate in the Straits, in Turin and Naples."

- For how long the locomotives will be rented?
"The rental contract is until 2025."