Bombardier Transportation has signed a nine-year contract worth €600m ($867m) with German train operator DB Regio to supply 200 Traxx diesel multi-engine locomotives, Railway Technology reports.

First delivery of the initial 20 locomotives, which DB Regio will use for passenger transportation, is expected in the middle of 2013.

The new vehicles used for locomotive-hauled passenger and freight transportation across Europe will cut down fuel consumption, exhaust emissions and life-cycle costs when compared with single-engine diesel locomotives.

The locomotives use four rugged, heavy-duty industrial diesel engines in place of a single, large diesel motor and meet the new EU stage IIIB emissions standard.

Parts for the locomotives will be produced in Bombardier's plants in Germany, Poland and Switzerland while final assembly will be completed in Kassel, Germany.