Dispolok

Siemens locomotive of type ES 64 F4 in yellow and silvery Dispolok livery

Siemens Dispolok Ltd. (abbreviation: Dispolok) was a locomotive leasing company wholly owned by Siemens Transportation Systems offering locomotives for hire to European rail operators. On the 21st of September 2006 it was bought by Mitsui Rail Capital Europe BV (MRCE) a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Mitsui & Co. Ltd..^[1]

On 24 January 2008 the organisation was renamed MRCE Dispolok Ltd..

History

Due to technical problems with different locomotives, including the diesel electric Locomotive ME26 (see NSB Di 6) Siemens found itself with locomotives that had been returned from the original purchaser,

In order to avoid a total loss, and with the deregulation of rail transport in Europe taking place it was decided to offer these locomotives to private companies on a leased basis.

Since the new privately owned rail companies were almost all entirely new companies with no experience or infrastructure to deal with locomotive maintenance the leasing agreements included full servicing to be provided by Siemens (or its associates). In addition Siemens offer the leasers an option to buy the locomotives later if they so wished.

Since the concept of operation of the new company put it in competition with the main customers of Siemens Transportation Systems, Displok was created as an independent company with limited liability (see Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung) in order to avoid possible legal conflicts.

Mitsui acquisition and incorporation

Mitsui Rail Capital Europe (MRCE) became the owner of the Dispolok group of companies in 2006, with the acquisiation Mitsui committed itself to the purchase of 50 Siemens electric locomotives of the Eurosprinter type.^[1] Siemens will continue with its core business of manfucturing and selling locomotives but is no longer involved in leasing.

At the shareholders' meeting of 24 January 2008 the decision was made to rename the company MRCE Dispolok Ltd. The integration was completed on 1 April 2008 with all the shares of the subsidiary acquired^[2]; with the takeover the livery of the Dispolok locomotives has changed from the yellow and silver of Siemens to black under Mitsui^[3], with the new name "MRCE Dispolok" on the sides of the locomotives.^[4]

Operations

MRCE Dispolok operated the leasing business from its site in Munich-Allach; customers were national and private railway companies mainly in Germany, Austria and Italy, but also in other Central and Eastern European countries.

Since its founding on 2 January 2001 Dispolok it won a leading position in the locomotive leasing market, with a fleet of about 150 locomotives in mid 2007.

The locomotives come from the mass production of the Siemens company are the same as those sold to major rail companies throughout Europe.

The locomotives are equipped for use on many European rail networks, with the electric locomotives being able to take their power from different power systems (multi-system locomotives) for cross-border traffic, diesel engined locomotives are also offered for rent.

MRCE dispolok

Main article: Mitsui Rail Capital Europe

With the acquisition, the well known dispolok name was kept. Before acquiring the Displolok organisation MRCE had a leasing business of its own - with diesel locomotives from Vossloh, electric locomotives from Bombardier's TRAXX family, as well as its own Siemens ES 64 F4 (see Eurosprinter) and diesel EMD Series 66.

Fleet

• ES64 P (ES64 EuroSprinter prototype; DBAG Series 127)
• ES64 U2^[5], (identical to DB Class 182, ÖBB 1016, 1116 (Taurus), MAV 1047)
• ES64 F4^[5], (identical to DB Class 189, SBB Re 474)
• ER20 Euro Runner^[5], (identical to ÖBB 2016)

• Former vehicles:
• ES64 F: sold to ITL in 2005 (identical to DB Class 152)
• ME26^[6], sold in 2004, to Vossloh

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Mitsui acquires Dispolok from Siemens Infrasite.net
2. ^ Mitsui restructures Dispolok 1 Apr 2008 Railwaygazette.com
3. ^ Integration of locomotive leasing operations at MRCE and Dispolok Mitsui Rail Capital Europe BV press release
4. ^ Vgl. Bahn-Report, Rohr, Heft 3/2008, S. 26, ISSN 0178-4528
5. ^ ^{a b c} MRCE dispolok fleet details
6. ^ Dispolok ME 26

Literature

• Karl Gerhard Baur: EuroSprinter - Die erfolgreiche Lokomotivfamilie von Siemens. EK-Verlag, Freiburg, 2007 ISBN 3-88255-226-3

External links

• Official website of MRCE Dispolok (english lang.)