SŽ – VIT has overhauled a Vectron locomotive entirely in-house for the first time, extending a decade of electric locomotive maintenance work for international clients.
In September, SŽ–VIT rolled out the first Siemens-built Vectron locomotive to be overhauled in-house, returning the unit to Beacon Rail. The Ljubljana Maintenance Section, which is responsible for electric locomotive maintenance, carried out the full overhaul of the 191-023 independently, marking a major achievement for the company and opening a new business opportunity.
Beacon Rail is a returning client, having used SŽ–VIT’s services since 2024. The development comes as Siemens continues to expand its Vectron platform, with the Vectron X unveiled at InnoTrans 2026 as the next generation of the locomotive. The Vectron X was also featured in the Summer Edition of Global Railway Review. Before Beacon Rail, SŽ–VIT delivered electric locomotive overhauls to MRCE, which helped establish the company’s expertise in this type of maintenance on the international market.
Overall, SŽ–VIT has been providing electric locomotive maintenance for 10 years. The company began with F4 units and their bogie overhauls in 2019 and has since expanded its capabilities to Vectron locomotives and bogies. Its previous experience with Siemens Taurus locomotives, Series 541, which predate the Vectron, alongside a number of I3 and lower inspections on Vectron locomotives, helped the company move into full overhauls without major hurdles.
To qualify for this level of maintenance, the SŽ–VIT team completed hands-on brake overhaul training provided by Knorr and purchased a measuring arm for bogie measurements.
A total of two Vectron overhauls are planned for this year, with a further six scheduled for 2027. SŽ–VIT is also working to expand its range of Vectron services, with wheel replacements being considered as a future addition.
We are happy to have added another service in electric locomotive maintenance to our portfolio and feel proud of all our dedicated and skilful team members, who make such projects possible.”
At the same time, Siemens Mobility is increasing its own Vectron overhaul capacity. Its newly modernised Rail Service Center in Munich-Allach has tripled its capacity from around 25 to up to 80 overhauls and accident repairs per year. Siemens describes the facility as its competence centre for Vectron maintenance, with digitalised workshop processes intended to reduce turnaround times and improve locomotive availability.
The expansion of SŽ–VIT’s Vectron overhaul capabilities therefore comes at a time when both the locomotive fleet and the wider maintenance ecosystem are developing. SŽ–VIT is expanding overhaul capability for the existing Vectron fleet as Siemens develops the next-generation Vectron X and expands its own European Vectron overhaul capacity, highlighting the growing importance of lifecycle support for the platform.
SŽ–VIT said it was pleased to have added another electric locomotive maintenance service to its portfolio and expressed pride in the team members whose expertise has made the project possible.
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