OSE Class 120

Class of Greek electric locomotives

Hellenic Train Class 120, also known as Hellas Sprinter, is a class of electric locomotives operated by Hellenic Train. It is part of OSE's rolling stock. They were manufactured by Siemens and Krauss-Maffei in Germany.^[1]

They are equipped with electric motors with a total power of 5000 kW and have been used in both passenger and freight trains on the Greek railways since 1999. It was the first and is currently the only class of fully electric locomotives of the Hellenic Railway Network and the main locomotives used between Athens and Thessaloniki. There are two other types of electric trains in the National Rail Network of Greece, the Siemens Desiro EMU (460 series) and the ΕΤR 470 (in service since 2022).

Origins

The HellasSprinter, strongly resembles the first generation EuroSprinter (and therefore is considered as such by many), a series of electric locomotives that also operated on the DB AG, RENFE (Serie 252) and CP (Serie 5600) networks.^[1]

In 1993, with the proclamation 2002/93, the Hellenic Railways Organization (OSE) held a tender for the supply of thermal and electrical locomotives, in the general context of the modernization of the normal amplitude network, and in the middle of a program for the renewal of engines, due to operating problems of its diverse and aging fleet. The collection included 25 diesel-electric locomotives, which constituted the series A.471 (Later 220) and 6 electric locomotives. The diesel locomotives have a continuous power of 2100 kW, while the electric ones 5000 kW. OSE's goal was low maintenance costs, low fuel / electricity consumption, line protection, heating of passenger trains, execution of commercial and passenger trains at a speed of 160 km / h for diesels and 200 for the electrics and the convertibility of diesels to electrics. The winners of the competition were Siemens and Krauss-Maffei for the electrics and ABB Henschel AG (later ADtranz, now Bombardier) for the diesels.^[2]

In service

The construction of the first unit was completed in 1997 and as soon as it completed its trials in Germany, it came to Greece, to be routed on the electrified line Thessaloniki - Eidomeni - Gevgelija. Another 5 units followed, and along with CFR 060-EA1-056, an electric locomotive leased from Romania, they began their service in 1998 on the said route, primarily hauling cross-border traffic into North Macedonia. Their locale extended between 2009 and 2018 towards Larissa, Domokos and eventually Athens and Piraeus. A follow-up order was delivered between 2004 and 2005, save for 120 008 which for unexplained reasons had stayed in Munich at the Siemens-Krauss Maffei workshops up to 2007, before entering service in 2008.

In 2019, with the completion of the new Piraeus-Platy line and the units being used on all Athens-Thessaloniki trains, some locomotives were painted with the new dark blue livery of TRAINOSE.^[3] At the same time, in the same year, GAIAOSE announced the renovation of 120 001, 120 002, 120 003, 120 005, 120 006, 120 009, 120 013, 120 025 and 120 026.^[4]

Accidents

• Sometime in 2000, unit Η564 derailed in the Paionia municipality on the Thessaloniki-Gevgelija line. Not much is known about the details of the accident but since then the unit has been placed into storage due to light accident damage.
• On 28 February 2023, three units (120 022, 120 012, 120 023)^[5] were destroyed in a head-on collision near Evangelismos, Larissa just outside the Tempe Valley, in a train accident that led to the deaths of 57 people and left over 85 people injured. 120 023 was hauling an Athens to Thessaloniki InterCity train at a speed estimated to be around 140 km/h when it collided with 120 012 and 120 022 hauling an intermodal train.

Fleet details

List as per 20 July 2023, note it might contain some errors.

Gallery of liveries

• 
  120 001 (left) and Η565 (right) with original and UIC-compliant running numbers, Menemeni Depot, 2005
• 
  120 006 (then H566) with the original OSE livery, Thessaloniki, 2002
• 
  120 016 with the revised OSE livery (noticing two variations of the new OSE logo) having arrived with a train from Belgrade at Thessaloniki, 2008
• 
  H564 placed in long term storage after the accident in Paionia, Menemeni, 2016
• 
  120 022 with the original livery and Hellenic Train logos at Athens station a few months prior to the accident at Tempi, 2023
• 
  120 030 with the new TRAINOSE blue livery, 2020
• 
  View of the drivers controls
• 
  120 030 With the Hellenic Train Blue Livery at Tithorea Station. 2024

See also

• Trains portal

• EuroSprinter
• CP Class 5600 similar locomotives built at the same time for the Portuguese railways, operating only on 25 kV AC
• Renfe Class 252 Similar locomotives built from 1991-1996 for the Spanish Railways

References

1. "Η πρώτη ηλεκτράμαξα των σιδηροδρόμων μας" [The first electric train of our railways]. Σιδηροτροχιά (Siderotrochia) (in Greek) (15). Σύλλογος Φίλων Σιδηροδρόμων (Σ.Φ.Σ.) (Railway Friends Club): 13. July 1997.
2. Maganaris, Giannis (July 1997). "θερμοηλεκτρικές και ηλεκτρικές ελκτικές μονάδες με τριφασικούς ασύγχρονους ηλεκτροκινητήρες έλξης, μια επιλογή του ΟΣΕ με τεχνολογία του 2000. (Thermoelectric and electric locomotives with three-phase asynchronous traction motors, a selection of OSE with 2000 technology.)". Σιδηροτροχιά (Sidirotrochia).
3. "[GR / Expert] In the picture: TrainOSE's HellasSprinter in new livery". Railcolor News. 2019-05-31. Retrieved 2020-11-16.
4. "ΓΑΙΑΟΣΕ : Η Siemens θα κάνει "λίφτινγκ" σε 9 ηλεκτράμαξες του ΟΣΕ – Προσπάθεια να μπει …τάξη στο τροχαίο υλικό". Moved.gr (in Greek). 2019-12-31. Retrieved 2020-11-16.
5. "OSE 120". elektrolokarchiv.de. Retrieved 2 February 2023.