Unipetrol Doprava has presented a new Siemens Vectron MS locomotive in the red-and-white colours of ORLEN Unipetrol at Chempark Litvínov. The new locomotive is part of the plan of the gradual fleet renewal that will also include three additional Siemens Vectron MS locos in the coming three years. With the ongoing modernisation, Unipetrol Doprava is intensifying its transport capacities. The company provides transport services also to the neighbouring countries within the significant and long-lasting exchange of goods between the ORLEN Group companies.
“We have been investing in the development of the entire ORLEN Unipetrol Group for a long time, and the modernisation of Unipetrol Doprava’s fleet is an integral part of our investment programme. Modern Vectron locomotives help increase our transport capacities and are also very cost-efficient in terms of operating expenses. They consume about half of the energy consumed by diesel locomotives, thus total production of CO2 emissions is lower too. All of this fits into the ORLEN Group’s strategy to become emissions-neutral by 2050,” said Tomasz Wiatrak, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the ORLEN Unipetrol Group.
Unipetrol Doprava continues expanding its transport services and modernising locomotives with the purchase of four interoperable Siemens Vectron MS locos from Siemens Mobility. Following this year’s takeover of the first unit, the remaining three locomotives will be put into operation in the coming three years. The purchase is part of the strategic investment development, in which Unipetrol Doprava has invested hundreds of millions of korunas since 2017.
“We continue implementing the ongoing planned modernisation of our fleet. We included the first Siemens Vectron MS in our fleet in 2017 and added two more in the spring of 2018. Since then, they have driven more than 1,150,000 kilometres and carried 2,300,000 tonnes of materials and goods. They have helped us increase the volume of transported products while optimising the total costs of fleet maintenance,” says Jaroslav Dvořák, Executive Director of Unipetrol Doprava.
The new Vectrons with an output of 6,400 kW and a maximum speed of 160 km/h will be transporting primarily chemical products in the ORLEN Unipetrol colours. They can be operated both in the Czech Republic and in all neighbouring countries – Poland, Slovakia, Germany, and Austria. Not only their performance but also safety and security are equally emphasised. Besides the national train protection systems of the respective countries, the locos will also be equipped with the modern European Train Control System (ETCS), GSM-R, and remote diagnostics.
“The Vectron’s multi-system alternative is a perfect solution not only for passenger transport but also freight trains. ORLEN Unipetrol is a good example and proof of it, as it has been using the locomotives for several years. Their high performance enables us to deploy them for pulling heavy freight trains. Still, their most substantial benefit is in the possibility to operate them in various voltage systems, which saves both time and money in cross-border transport and boosts the competitiveness of operators,” says Roman Kokšal, CEO of Siemens Mobility Czech Republic. “Due to the ongoing development and optimisation of this locomotive platform, customers can also be sure that this locomotive and its parameters will be able to meet even the future ambitious requirements of our customers related to passenger and goods transport.”
Siemens Mobility has sold more than 1,000 Vectron locomotives that have driven more than 300 million km. They are currently approved for operation in Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, and Belgium.
Unipetrol Doprava is a significant railway carrier in the Czech Republic. Together with its contracted partners, it also arranges transport to the neighbouring countries. It offers a broad portfolio of services on the railway market. Besides the transport of chemical products, it focuses on forwarding, leasing of rail trucks, repairs, and cleaning services, as well as on consulting services. Its customers include both members of the international ORLEN Group and independent companies, including significant railway forwarding firms, foreign carriers and chemical plants without any ties to the Group.
The ORLEN Unipetrol Group is the largest refinery and petrochemical company in the Czech Republic. It focuses on crude-oil pro-cessing and on the production, distribution and sale of vehicle fuels and petrochemical products – particularly plastics and fertilisers. In all these areas, it belongs among the important players on the Czech and Central European market. The ORLEN Unipetrol Group encompasses refineries and production plants in Litvínov and Kralupy nad Vltavou, Paramo with its Mogul brand in Pardubice and Kolín, Spolana Neratovice, and two research centres in Litvínov and Brno. Unipetrol also includes a network of Benzina ORLEN filling stations in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. With 416 filling stations, Benzina ORLEN is the largest chain in the Czech Republic. Since its entry in 2019 to Slovakia, Benzina ORLEN has been one of the fastest growing chains there and currently has 20 stations in its network. ORLEN Unipetrol belongs to the six largest companies in terms of turnover in the Czech Republic. It earned CZK 129 billion last year and employs more than 4,800 persons. In 2005, ORLEN Unipetrol became a member of the ORLEN Group, the largest crude-oil processor in Central Europe. In addition to its business development, ORLEN Unipetrol is proud to be a socially responsible corporation. Therefore, it pays an equal amount of attention to initiatives which focus on the cultivation and support of sustainable development, education, local communities, and the environment.
Contact: Pavel Kaidl, spokesman, telephone: +420 736 502 520, e-mail: pavel.kaidl@unipetrol.cz