News and Insights

Business-Newsletter

Dear Partner

The new year has begun and it is already clear: 2026 will be a year full of momentum, new projects and important milestones for European Loc Pool.

With a continuously growing locomotive fleet and new approvals for our EuroDual and Euro9000, we are opening up additional European corridors and strengthening our presence in international rail freight. In particular, the approvals achieved in Southeast Europe as well as the Italian approval of the Euro9000 create exciting new opportunities for our customers and partners.

Another highlight this year will be our participation at InnoTrans 2026 in Berlin, the world’s leading trade fair for transport technology. It provides an ideal platform to present innovations, deepen industry exchange and take a joint look at the future of European rail transport.

Alongside technological progress and new markets, our partnerships remain a key pillar of our success. Together with our customers, suppliers and partners, we work every day to make rail freight transport more powerful, efficient and sustainable.

We are looking forward to an exciting year and to continuing this journey together with you.

We wish you an enjoyable read of this edition.

Outlook

New Market Openings in Italy and the Balkans

For ELP, two key milestones have been successfully achieved, sustainably strengthening our European presence: the country approval of the Euro9000 for Italy and the approval for operations in the Balkan region have now been granted.

Both developments are of high strategic importance, as they enable the deployment of our locomotives along two key growth corridors of European rail freight.

With the Italian approval, new operational opportunities open up for our fleet on one of Europe’s most important north-south corridors. Italy plays a key role in international freight transport, particularly in connection with the Benelux region, Germany and Switzerland. The availability of our locomotives in this market enhances our customers’ flexibility and increases efficiency in cross-border transport chains.

The approval in the Balkan region also marks a significant step forward. Southeast Europe is becoming increasingly important for logistics, trade and industry, not least due to growing infrastructure investments and rising transport volumes. With this approval, we are laying the foundation to support our customers along these dynamically growing corridors. The ability to operate our locomotives seamlessly into this region opens up new commercial opportunities and strengthens ELP’s market presence in an increasingly interconnected European economic area.

Both approvals reflect our commitment to continuously developing our fleet and providing our customers with maximum operational reach and flexibility. They represent a key building block for our continued growth and the advancement of European Rail Freight.

Latest Updates

Off to the tracks

The first Euro9000 strengthens the fleet of new customer Leonhard Weiss GmbH & Co. KG, presented in the fresh Leonhard Weiss design.

For more information, click here

First Euro9000 for RBP, the start of a strong partnership

With RBP, European Loc Pool is pleased to welcome a new customer and is proud of the trust placed in us.

For more information, click here

When partnership becomes measurable – Additional EuroDual locomotives for HVLE

Six EuroDuals in the fleet are no coincidence. They stand for shared goals, clear requirements and a common understanding of how modern rail freight must operate.

For more information, click here

Four EuroDuals, one shared mission

Another EuroDual for BELog Baustoffe-Entsorgung-Logistik GmbH & Co. KG. This brings the total to four EuroDual locomotives for the company, a strong sign of trust, partnership and a shared vision.

For more information, click here

Technik Update

HVO100, Renewable Fuel for the EuroDual Fleet

Renewable fuels are not a new topic in the transport sector. However, they are gaining increasing importance when it comes to operating existing technologies more sustainably. This approach is also becoming more prominent in rail freight.

One example is HVO100 (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil). It is a renewable diesel fuel produced from vegetable oils, animal fats or waste materials. Through a hydrotreating process, these raw materials are treated with hydrogen and converted into a paraffinic fuel that is chemically very similar to fossil diesel.

For the EuroDual and Euro9000 locomotives of European Loc Pool, the use of HVO100 is generally possible. Engine manufacturer Caterpillar has approved its use for the diesel engine types C175 and C32 installed in these locomotives, provided that the fuel complies with the EN 15940 standard.

The use of HVO100 can help make the diesel share of rail operations more climate-friendly. Depending on the origin of the raw materials, CO₂ emissions across the entire lifecycle can be significantly reduced. At the same time, emissions of hydrocarbons, particulate matter, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides can also be lowered.

Its application is flexible: HVO100 can be used as a 100% fuel, blended with Diesel B7, or mixed in any ratio with Biodiesel B100.

When using pure HVO100, a slight reduction in engine performance of around five percent may occur due to its lower fuel density. This clearly shows that even in diesel operation, new opportunities are emerging to make rail freight more environmentally friendly.

Corporate Social Responsibility

ESG-Commitments

With strong partners such as Swiss Sliding and Sportnetz Frauenfeld, we will continue to drive numerous projects forward in 2026, further strengthening our role in the environmental and social sectors.

For more information, click here

ELP presents the Next Generation Award for the first time

With the ELP Next Generation Award, we recognize clubs from Sportnetz Frauenfeld that are particularly committed to supporting and developing young people.

For more information, click here

Olympic goosebumps in Cortina

Team spirit that inspires!
As a proud sponsor of Swiss Sliding, we were there and followed the exciting competitions closely.

For more information, click here

ELP in Focus

In this section, the community’s perspective on our locomotives comes to life. Starting with this edition, we will regularly present selected images showcasing our fleet in operation. Each issue will feature two photos.

The section highlights how diverse and dynamic our locomotives are across the European network, captured from the perspective of those who share our passion for traction.

Martin – 2019 318-ELP-Raildox, Kerzell (DE)

Patrick Wimmer – 159 231 ELP-EVB, Burgkunstadt (DE)