Stadler has been awarded the largest contract in the company’s history with an order for 504 tram-trains for a German-Austrian project consortium.

The order, worth up to four billion euros, was won in an international tender held jointly by six transport companies from Germany and Austria. Up to 504 vehicles are to be supplied as part of the “VDV Tram-Train” project.

In addition to vehicle production, the framework agreement includes a maintenance contract lasting up to 32 years. The framework agreement includes a fixed order for 246 CITYLINK vehicles with a value of around 1.7 billion euros, and an option to order up to 258 more vehicles.

CITYLINK is a tram that can also be configured as an inter-city train if required. The configuration of the vehicles will vary depending on the delivery location and the customer’s specifications. All vehicles will be supplied in a three-part design, with vehicle lengths, number of doors, boarding and coupling height adapted to the customer’s needs.

All vehicles will have certain features in common including an HVAC system for the passenger compartments and driver’s cab and spacious multi-purpose areas with two wheelchair spaces that can be flexibly configured. They will be individually equipped to suit their place of use. For example, vehicles for the Albtal-Verkehrs-Gesellschaft will have a toilet as well as facilities for cycle racks, while Schiene Oberösterreich has opted for luggage racks as an extra feature.

The contract marks the beginning of a long-standing partnership between Stadler and the project consortium, consisting of Verkehrsbetriebe Karlsruhe (VBK), Albtal-Verkehrs-Gesellschaft (AVG), Saarbahn Netz, Schiene Oberösterreich, the State of Salzburg and Zweckverband Regional-Stadtbahn Neckar-Alb. Over the next ten years, Stadler will produce 246 CITYLINK vehicles for the six operators, with the first four vehicles to be delivered to the Saarbahn in 2024.

Peter Spuhler, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Group CEO a.i. of Stadler, said “We are proud to have won this international tender with our proven vehicle concept. The construction of a tram-train requires experience, and this particular tender also necessitates the ability to combine individual solutions with standard products. Stadler has always been at home in both areas and is a pioneer in the industry. With CITYLINK, we are looking forward to providing our six customers with a mobility solution that will connect the city and the surrounding area without passengers having to change trains, thereby developing travel in a sustainable and comfortable way.”

It is unusual to provide one type of vehicle for six operators, but Thorsten Erlenkötter, the overall project manager from Verkehrsbetriebe Karlsruhe, said “On the project team, we spent hours developing a common set of specifications. We defined a standard with up to five further versions to meet the operatorspecific requirements such as boarding height, coating and place of use.”

Verkehrsbetriebe Karlsruhe is in charge of the overall project management and coordinating project implementation. Christian Höglmeier, technical managing director of Verkehrsbetriebe Karlsruhe, said “We are very happy that in Stadler, we have found a reliable and experienced manufacturer for this extraordinary project. A procurement concept like the one we have implemented here is unique worldwide to date. The six operators are united by their belief in the concept of tram-trains that can link large cities with their respective regions according to the Karlsruhe model and that can bring people directly into the centre quickly without having to change trains.”