Siemens has landed a multi-billion euro contract from Switzerland.
The Munich-based industrial giant will deliver up to 200 new double-decker trains for S-Bahn networks in the Zurich region and Western Switzerland throughout the 2030s. According to Swiss Federal Railways (SBB), Siemens Mobility submitted “the most advantageous offer in accordance with procurement law.” SBB announced on Friday that the investment volume is estimated at two billion Swiss francs. The German company prevailed over Swiss manufacturer Stadler Rail in the tender process, with Stadler describing the outcome as “a major disappointment.”
Of the 116 Siemens trains already firmly ordered, 95 are slated for deployment on the Zurich S-Bahn network, with the remainder serving the area around Lake Geneva. SBB has also secured an option for 84 additional trains should the Zurich network expand further. Both Siemens and Stadler Rail double-decker trains currently operate on the Zurich S-Bahn line, which has existed since 1990. Siemens trains have been in service there since 2006, and Stadler’s KISS double-decker trains joined the fleet in 2012. The newly ordered trains, each 150 meters long and offering 540 seats, will provide significantly more space, SBB stated.
According to SBB CEO Vincent Ducrot, Siemens will manufacture the trains at its plant in Krefeld, Germany, as reported by the tabloid “Blick” from a press conference. Stadler Rail had proposed production in Switzerland “together with over 200 supplier companies.” Stadler builds trains in Bussnang, Thurgau, and in St. Margrethen, near St. Gallen.
(Reporting by Alexander Hübner, with contributions from Oliver Hirt in Zurich; edited by Sabine Wollrab. For inquiries, please contact our editorial team at berlin.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com (for politics and economy) or frankfurt.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com (for companies and markets).)