SNCF Class BB 25500
| Company type | Electric locomotive series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Railway transport |
| Founded | 1964 |
| Founder | Alsthom |
| Defunct | 1976 |
| Headquarters | France |
| Products | Dual-voltage electric locomotives |
The BB 25500 series electric locomotives, manufactured by Alsthom from 1964 to 1976 for SNCF, represent dual-voltage units that integrate elements from the AC-exclusive SNCF Class BB 17000 and the DC-specific SNCF Class BB 8500. Featuring monomotor bogies with two selectable gear ratios, these locomotives provide a compromise between enhanced tractive force suited for freight operations and elevated maximum speeds ideal for passenger services, facilitating flexible mixed-traffic usage.
Constructed in three separate production runs with slight differences, they predominantly operate on regional TER and Transilien lines within Bourgogne, Bretagne, Franche-Comté, PACA, Rhône-Alpes, and the Paris Montparnasse corridor. The fleet comprises 102 locomotives assigned to TER duties and an additional 8 dedicated to Transilien.
Designed to function under overhead electrical supplies of both 25 kV AC and 1,500 V DC through pantographs, these units deliver a maximum velocity of 140 km/h alongside a power output rated at 2,940 kW. This combination renders them suitable for hauling both freight and passenger trains efficiently.
Romania
A total of ten locomotives (numbers 25517, 25518, 25523, 25524, 25528, 25536, 25570, 25572, 25576, and 25581) were exported to Romania, where they operate in conjunction with former SNCF Rio coaches under Regiotrans. Their service includes principal routes such as Brașov to Bucharest and seasonal runs extending from Brașov through Bucharest to Constanţa. Upon transfer, these locomotives received new numbering by adding 400,000 to their original SNCF identifiers. It is worth mentioning that locomotive number 25536 suffered fire damage on 5 December 2017 while pulling freight at Cața station.
Preservation
Locomotive number 25609 has been preserved and is exhibited at the Cité du Train museum located in Mulhouse.