SŽ-Infrastruktura Awards €71M For 21 Vehicles In Slovenia

LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA – SŽ-Infrastruktura, Slovenia’s national railway infrastructure manager, signed two contracts with Tesmec Rail on March 5 for the delivery of 21 infrastructure maintenance vehicles. The agreements, with a total value of €71 million, have a duration of 4.5 years. The signing took place at Ljubljana Central Station.

What Does This Contract Cover?

The procurement is divided into two distinct contracts for a total of 21 technologically advanced vehicles. The larger contract, valued at €52 million, is for the supply of 15 high-performance rail infrastructure maintenance cars. A second contract, valued at €19 million, covers six work vehicles specifically for catenary maintenance, which includes one hybrid vehicle equipped with battery technology to reduce emissions and noise. Technical specifications for the vehicles were not disclosed in the announcement.

Key Contract Data

How Does This Compare to Similar Contracts?

Comparable public data for recent maintenance and inspection vehicle contracts of this specific type and scale in the Balkan region was not available at the time of publication. The average cost per vehicle in this deal is approximately €3.38 million, but this figure aggregates different vehicle types, including a more expensive hybrid model and specialised catenary equipment. Cross-border comparisons are difficult as vehicle specifications and included long-term service agreements vary significantly between tenders.

Editor’s Analysis

This acquisition by SŽ-Infrastruktura is a direct investment in maintaining Slovenia’s strategic relevance as a key transit country for European rail freight. By upgrading its maintenance fleet to meet modern European standards, Slovenia ensures the reliability of its sections of the vital Baltic–Adriatic and Mediterranean corridors. The inclusion of a hybrid catenary vehicle, while a small part of the order, signals an alignment with the wider EU strategy of reducing the carbon footprint of railway operations and maintenance activities. (Source: European Commission TEN-T Programme).

FAQ

Q: Why is this vehicle purchase significant for Slovenia?
A: The purchase modernizes the maintenance fleet for Slovenia’s rail network, which is a crucial intersection for two major Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) corridors: the Baltic–Adriatic and the Mediterranean.

Q: What types of vehicles are included in the €71 million deal?
A: The deal includes 15 general infrastructure maintenance cars and six specialized vehicles for overhead catenary maintenance. One of the catenary vehicles will feature hybrid-battery technology.

Q: What are the environmental benefits of the hybrid vehicle?
A: The hybrid vehicle is equipped with battery technology capable of significantly reducing emissions and noise during maintenance operations. Specific figures on emission reduction or battery capacity were not provided in the contract announcement.