European Loc Pool receives approval for the Balkan region
posted on 15th Apr 2026 11:57
The European Loc Pool (ELP) has reached another important milestone as the EURODUAL locomotives have been approved for operation in the Balkan region This includes successful homologations in Croatia and Slovenia, following Serbia, which was awarded in 2023. The process took several years, with the first series of test drives taking place as early as 2023, but the approval process for EU member states took somewhat longer, with ERA granting homologation for Slovenia and Croatia on 10 April 2026.
The ELP is thus expanding the geographical reach of its fleet and creating new opportunities for cross-border rail freight transport in South-Eastern Europe. The approval covers key countries along the main corridors between Northern and Central Europe and the Balkans. This region is becoming increasingly important for industry, logistics and international trade. In particular, the corridor connecting the Adriatic region between Koper and Jesenice (via Ljubljana), via Maribor, as well as Rijeka and Zagreb, with Central European industrial hubs is developing into a strategic freight transport backbone.
With the newly obtained approvals, the ELP locomotives can now be flexibly deployed on these routes, both on electrified and non-electrified lines. As the approval concerns the basic 15/25 kV version, operation in Slovenia, which is primarily electrified at 3 kV DC, is only possible in diesel traction, but allows transit to more southern countries with 25 kV catenary.
„With the approval in the Balkan region, we are opening up another strategically important market for our customers,” says Willem Goosen, CEO of European Loc Pool. „Flexibility is key, especially on international corridors. Our locomotives enable seamless transport without locomotive changes, contributing to more efficient and stable transport chains.”
Successful operations and test runs in Slovenia, Croatia, and Serbia have already demonstrated that the EURODUAL reliably delivers its performance under real operating conditions, including on steep gradients and along demanding corridors. With this step, ELP strengthens its position as a pan-European leasing provider for modern locomotives and reinforces its commitment to supporting customers along the most important freight corridors. Further approvals in Southeast Europe are already in preparation to continuously expand the operational reach of the EURODUAL towards Turkey.
