In 2016, ArcelorMittal Ostrava entered a ten-year lease agreement with CZ LOKO for 20 locomotives of the 741.7 series, specifically numbered 741.711 to 741.730. However, in 2019, the Ostrava steel complex was acquired by a new owner and renamed Liberty Ostrava. Despite the ownership change, the locomotive lease continued uninterrupted until the autumn of 2023, when Liberty Ostrava faced severe financial difficulties, leading to near-total operational shutdown.
As Liberty Ostrava’s economic situation grew increasingly uncertain, marked by a moratorium against bankruptcy, CZ LOKO began retracting the leased locomotives from the Ostrava site. On June 13, 2024, Liberty Ostrava was declared insolvent, prompting the removal of the remaining 741.7 series locomotives. By June 21, 2024, Liberty Ostrava had entered bankruptcy.
Amid these developments, CZ LOKO proactively sought new opportunities for the retracted locomotives. By February 2024, locomotives 741.717 and 741.718 were transferred to U. S. Steel Košice. In subsequent months, locomotives 741.728 and 741.729 were handed over to Sev.en Inntech for brown coal transport from the Vršany quarry to the Počerady power. In early summer 2024, Slovak freight rail carrier Raillog took over two locomotives, namely 741.724 and 726. The remaining locomotives are heading to the Italian market, where CZ LOKO is a popular supplier.
Locomotive Transfers and New Ownership in Italy
Scala/Credem (delivery in autumn 2024)
- 741.712 (Re-numbered to 741.769)
- 741.713 (Re-numbered to 741.768)
Valsecchi (delivery between December 2024 and September 2025)
- 741.722 (Re-numbered to 741.770)
- 741.723 (Re-numbered to 741.771)
- 741.719 (Re-numbered to 741.779)
- 741.720 (Re-numbered to 741.780)
- 741.725 (Re-numbered to 741.781)
- 741.730 (Re-numbered to 741.782)
G.C.F. (one delivered in spring 2024,two to be delivered in spring 2025)
- 741.714 (Re-numbered to 741.774)
- 741.715 (Re-numbered to 741.775)
-
741.716 (Re-numbered to 741.776)
The remaining locomotives, including units 741.721, 741.711, and 741.727, are still awaiting reassignment.
CZ LOKO’s ability to swiftly relocate these locomotives underscores the company's responsiveness to changing market conditions, ensuring that their assets remain operational and utilized across various sectors.
