International rolling stock transfers

[bananas]

I was slightly surprised to learn that 17 of Eurostar's class 373s were scrapped after the introduction of class 374s. This got me thinking about whether they could have theoretically been sold to SNCF or used elsewhere on the continent, and then on to the more interesting general question: how often are trains are transferred across international borders?

 

[MCR247]

The most notable example off the top of my head is the ex FYRA stock returning to Italy for rebuild/refurb once the project was scrapped and now they’re now Trenitalia units.

 

[signed]

This got me thinking about whether they could have theoretically been sold to SNCF or used elsewhere on the continent

A portion of the units have always been owned by SNCF and the reuse has happened.

373s ran on the Hauts-de-France high speed regional network for a time (now the region just wet-leases TGV services from SNCF Voyageurs for the TER-GV service) and even ran the short-lived high-speed low-cost Izy service betwen France and Belgium betwen 2019 and 2022.

Another example is when the Luxemburgish CFL bought X73500 railcars only to realize they were too small and shipped them back over the border to the (then-Alsace) Grand-Est region

SNCF Class X 73500 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

X73813 - X73818 are former CFL (Luxembourg) units 2101 - 2106 and operate in the Alsace region. The SNCF Class X 73900 is an identical version of the X 73500, but can also operate into Germany.

 

[43096]

I was slightly surprised to learn that 17 of Eurostar's class 373s were scrapped after the introduction of class 374s. This got me thinking about whether they could have theoretically been sold to SNCF or used elsewhere on the continent, and then on to the more interesting general question: how often are trains are transferred across international borders?

With the increasing influence of leasing companies and multi-system traction, cross-borders transfers are much more common, particularly with multi-system locomotives.

 

[AndrewE]

When we went to Bulgaria and Croatia (different years but both pre-Covid) there was a delightful variety of ex-Western European coaches being used. All had a nice ambience and gave a comfortable ride - but that might have been something to do with relatively low line speeds!

 

[StephenHunter]

Does that unit for DSB ending up in Libya count?

 

[The exile]

Plenty of ex DB 628s working (or being got ready to work) in Czechia and Romania. 614s went to Romania and Poland, 624s to Poland, 642s in Romania as well (though not sure if these are ex DB or were built new for ROmania) . Various ex SNCG units also working in Romania.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 12 Aug 2025 ==

The most notable example off the top of my head is the ex FYRA stock returning to Italy for rebuild/refurb once the project was scrapped and now they’re now Trenitalia units.

Would have though that one of the most notable examples from a UK perspective was the transfer of the EM2s / Class 77s to the Netherlands in 1969. They survived in normal service until 1985 - with E27003 still being used for specials until at least 1999.

 

[Beebman]

MAV in Hungary has recently leased from a company called Akiem some ex-SNCF Astride electric locos (BB 36000) which have become MAV's Class 490.

 

[Struner]

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 12 Aug 2025 ==

some NS Buffels were sold to Poland
some NS Wadlopers were sold to Argentine, Poland & Romania

 

[StephenHunter]

The DRG BR52s did a kind of involuntary transfer at the end of the war.

 

[Alfonso]

Etr470s (ex transalpino) now in Greece?

 

[MarcVD]

SNCB sold :
- K1 and K2 cars to Morocco - last surviving ones used as generator vans, still have seen one in 2010
- several 2 car EMUs to private railway companies in Italy, now all disused
- M3 cars to Trenord, also Italy. All gone now...
- Various diesel locos to maintenance of way companies in Italy too, still used.
- I5 couchette cars to ??? - some ended up in Iran...
- 12 class 12 locos to a Czech company that refurbished them and leased them over there
- 15 I6 couchette cars to Czech Republic, currently being refurbished
- and recently , a bunch of decommissioned class 21 locos to Poland, where they never turned a wheel, and probably never will.

I probably forgot some others...

 

[Gag Halfrunt]

Several private freight operators in Bulgaria have electric locomotives from the UK.

Bulmarket have Class 86 (renumbered as class 85 in Bulgaria) and Class 87 locomotives.

BZK have Class 87.

DB Cargo Bulgaria have Class 92 (renumbered as class 88 in Bulgaria).

(Video shows various Bulmarket trains, beginning with a tanker train hauled by two Class 87s.)

 

[stadler]

Estonia Railways sold a bunch of DR1A DMU units to Kazakhstan Railways and to Tajikistan Railways about ten years ago.

 

[dutchflyer]

On quite another area and even also way of handling this- see it as ´development´'aid: the SRT State Rail of THailand every few years tends to get/receive a few ex JR-dieselsets donated from Japan, easy to realign to 1 mtr gauge and still fit for their job after a minor locally done renovation. Generally speaking THailand tends to buy most of it transport needs-mostly BUSes also still in Japan-and bodies these locally. Other as might be expected far fewer Chinese stuff.
The donations of such trainsets might also apply to INdonesia-PeRumKa, but I have not been there now since at least 10-11 yrs and lost knowledge of current situation.
Not trains so much, but trams- quite a few have gone after withdrawal in Western EURope toward UKrayna now/lately- reason should be obvious.