diff --git a/jsprit-core/src/main/java/jsprit/core/problem/io/VrpXMLReader.java b/jsprit-core/src/main/java/jsprit/core/problem/io/VrpXMLReader.java
index 0429873a..d47b9e1f 100644
--- a/jsprit-core/src/main/java/jsprit/core/problem/io/VrpXMLReader.java
+++ b/jsprit-core/src/main/java/jsprit/core/problem/io/VrpXMLReader.java
@@ -441,10 +441,15 @@ public class VrpXMLReader{
 			String penalty = typeConfig.getString("[@type]");
 			if(penalty != null){
 				if(penalty.equals("penalty")){
-					type = new PenaltyVehicleType(type);
+					String penaltyFactor = typeConfig.getString("[@penaltyFactor]");
+					if(penaltyFactor != null){
+						type = new PenaltyVehicleType(type,Double.parseDouble(penaltyFactor));
+					}
+					else type = new PenaltyVehicleType(type);
 					id = id + "_penalty";
 				}
 			}
+			
 			types.put(id, type);
 		}
 		
diff --git a/jsprit-core/src/main/java/jsprit/core/problem/io/VrpXMLWriter.java b/jsprit-core/src/main/java/jsprit/core/problem/io/VrpXMLWriter.java
index 3416f15b..d4ac23e2 100644
--- a/jsprit-core/src/main/java/jsprit/core/problem/io/VrpXMLWriter.java
+++ b/jsprit-core/src/main/java/jsprit/core/problem/io/VrpXMLWriter.java
@@ -248,6 +248,7 @@ public class VrpXMLWriter {
 		for(VehicleType type : vrp.getTypes()){
 			if(type instanceof PenaltyVehicleType){
 				xmlConfig.setProperty(typePathString + "("+typeCounter+")[@type]", "penalty");
+				xmlConfig.setProperty(typePathString + "("+typeCounter+")[@penaltyFactor]", ((PenaltyVehicleType)type).getPenaltyFactor());
 			}
 			xmlConfig.setProperty(typePathString + "("+typeCounter+").id", type.getTypeId());
 			xmlConfig.setProperty(typePathString + "("+typeCounter+").capacity", type.getCapacity());
diff --git a/jsprit-core/src/main/resources/vrp_xml_schema.xsd b/jsprit-core/src/main/resources/vrp_xml_schema.xsd
index f631f2f4..0b64fe56 100644
--- a/jsprit-core/src/main/resources/vrp_xml_schema.xsd
+++ b/jsprit-core/src/main/resources/vrp_xml_schema.xsd
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@
 									</xs:element>
 								</xs:all>
 								<xs:attribute name="type" type="xs:string" use="optional" />
+								<xs:attribute name="penaltyFactor" type="xs:string" use="optional" />
 							</xs:complexType>
 						</xs:element>
 					</xs:sequence>