ZSSK Cargo will operate 15 Siemens Vectron MS locomotives under a lease agreement with RS Lease running until 31 December 2037.
Five locomotives are due by 31 March 2026, followed by five between April and December 2026 and the final five between April and December 2027. The contract also includes an option for 15 additional locomotives, each with a 10-year lease period from delivery.
The staggered deployment provides ZSSK Cargo with phased capacity growth for international freight services rather than a single fleet intake. The Vectron MS platform enables operation under multiple electrification systems and across several European networks, with ETCS onboard.
The agreement resulted from a public tender launched in August 2025. The structure — long-term lease with purchase option and fleet expansion clause — gives the state freight operator flexibility in managing cross-border locomotive capacity over the next decade.
