The national passenger rail operator, České dráhy (ČD), has decided to take the legendary “banana” locomotives out of service.
This final decision follows an announcement made in February 2025, which was followed by a series of discussions regarding the status of these locomotives. As a result, on May 7, 2026, ČD decided to abandon plans to modernize these locomotives and put them up for sale. If there are no interested buyers, the locomotives will be scrapped and sent to the scrapyard.
The electric locomotives of the 150.2 and 151 series are known among railway enthusiasts by the nicknames “Banán” or “Dvojka.”
The “banana” locomotives were withdrawn from regular service in the spring of 2025, following their final runs on the R20 Labe route between Prague and Děčín. Subsequently, some units were occasionally used as reserve locomotives on the lines to Děčín and Hradec Králové, but their role in current operations became increasingly limited. Currently, most of the locomotives are stored at the Pardubice depot, where they have been awaiting the final decision regarding their future.
One of the options considered by České dráhy was the complete modernization and conversion of the locomotives into multi-system units capable of operating on both the 3 kV DC voltage and the 25 kV 50 Hz AC system, which is used on an increasing number of modernized lines in the Czech Republic. The project also included the installation of the ETCS system, which is mandatory for operation on major European rail corridors. However, following preliminary consultations with potential suppliers and an analysis of costs and economic viability, the company decided that the investment was no longer justified.
The decision reflects the major changes taking place in Czech and European rail transport, where operators are increasingly investing in modern multi-system locomotives and trains capable of running at higher speeds, with reduced energy consumption and full compatibility with European signaling and safety standards.
The legendary “banana” locomotives, in service for 40 years
Over more than 40 years of operation, the 150.2 and 151 series locomotives have undergone numerous modernizations and technical improvements. Some of them have been adapted for speeds of up to 160 km/h, becoming some of the fastest classic locomotives in the Czech rolling stock fleet. Designed for 3 kV DC power, these locomotives have collectively traveled over 216 million kilometers since their introduction into service. Five locomotives have each surpassed the impressive milestone of 10 million kilometers traveled.
Several units will be preserved in railway museum collections due to their historical significance for rail transport in Central Europe.
The locomotives were built in 1978 by the Škoda Group at its plant in Plzeň, in a series of 27 units. At the time of their introduction into service, they bore the designation E 499.2 and were designed for the railway line between Prague, Ostrava, Košice, and Čop, one of the most important railway axes in the former Eastern Bloc.
These locomotives were specifically designed to haul heavy express trains on the challenging sections of the Beskydy Mountains and the Tatra region, where older locomotives could no longer handle trains consisting of 15–16 cars and weighing approximately 600 tons. The model was based on the famous ES 499.0 locomotive, later the 350 series, used on international routes between Prague and Bratislava.
With a power output of 4,000 kW and a top speed of 140 km/h in their original configuration, the “banana” locomotives became a symbol of the classic era of electric traction in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, appreciated by both engineers and railway enthusiasts for their reliability and performance on express trains.
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