Railway manufacturer Stadler is supplying four new locomotives for passenger transport and two identical hybrid locomotives of type Ge(m) 4/4 for railway service and infrastructure maintenance to the Montreux-Berner Oberland-Bahn (MOB), which are intended for traffic between Montreux on Lake Geneva and Zweisimmen in the Bernese Oberland.
The locomotives for passenger transport serve as traction vehicles for the premium train "Goldenpass Express", which is converted from meter gauge to standard gauge in Zweisimmen and ultimately leads to Lucerne on the route operated jointly with BLS since 2022.
With a power output of 3 megawatts, the locomotives can both pull and push the train, increasing their versatility and operational flexibility. Equipped with state-of-the-art technology and the necessary tractive effort for the demanding route, the locomotives allow for a maximum speed of up to 100 km/h.
The two service and railway maintenance locomotives are also 17 meters long and have four driven axles. The hybrid drive allows them to control service or construction trains even where overhead lines are temporarily unavailable or need to be switched off due to construction work.
Fig.: Stadlerrail
Both locomotive models are new developments, designed precisely to meet the requirements of MOB and other railways.
The locomotives were procured through a joint tender with Transports de la Région Morges - Bière - Cossonay (MBC).
"The arrival of these modern and innovative locomotives will secure the long-term future of the Goldenpass Express, one of the world's most beautiful trains. This opens up new horizons for us to meet the needs of an ever-growing and increasingly demanding clientele," said Georges Oberson, CEO of the Montreux-Berner Oberland Railway, who thanked the cantons of Vaud, Fribourg, and Bern, as well as the federal government, for their confidence in the development of the Goldenpass Express.
