Stadler will operate two Lok 2000s
posted on 25th Mar 2026 12:52
At the end of 2025, Ralpin discontinued the RoLa service between Freiburg and Novara. BLS operated some of these trains with locomotives that are now surplus to requirements. Since these Class Re 465 locomotives can only be used within Switzerland, they are unsuitable for transit between Belgium and Italy. Only eight locomotives are still needed for the car shuttle service on the Lötschberg and Simplon lines, and three locomotives for the GoldenPass Express between Zweisimmen and Spiez, which uses the Montreux Oberland Railway's (MOB) meter/standard gauge trains. Consequently, BLS intends to sell four to six locomotives.
There are several interested parties. Stadler has already purchased the Re 465 001 and 011, and took delivery of the first one on 12 January 2026, while the second one will follow soon. Stadler plans to use the locomotives primarily for the transport of meter-gauge vehicles on transport wagons within Switzerland. The existing on-board ETCS Level 2 equipment of the Class Re 465s is advantageous for this purpose.
The Re 465 011 is the first locomotive to be worked on, and has been fitted with the new Stadler‘s vinyls since mid-March. The Re 465 001 is currently undergoing overhaul at the BLS‘s Bönigen works and will be swapped with the Re 465 011 on 31 March, which will then be overhauled. Afterwards, the 001 is scheduled to return to service in mid-April, and will also receive the identical livery. Both locomotives will have the same design. In addition, they will be decorated with coats of arms:
- Re 465 001: coat of arms of the Canton of Thurgau (headquarters and factory in Bussnang),
- Re 465 011: coat of arms of the Canton of St. Gallen (locations of Altenrhein and St. Margrethen works).
A raised, chrome-plated STADLER logo will also be mounted on the front. The inscriptions „Wirtschaftslok“ (a locomotive of economy) on the sidewalls symbolize Stadler's strong economic significance in Eastern Switzerland as a major employer and an important partner for many suppliers.
From 1994 to 1997, SLM, in cooperation with ABB, built 18 Class Re 465 locomotives for the BLS (Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon). They have a design top speed of 230 km/h, a continuous power output of 6,400 kW and a weight of 84 t. From 2020 to 2022, all machines underwent a complete overhaul at the BLS‘s Bönigen works to ensure they would remain operational for another 20 years. The cost per locomotive overhaul was 1 million CHF. The Re 465s were equipped with multiple control compatible with Vectrons and TRAXXes.
Jürg D. Lüthard
