Stadler Rail wins record €4bn contract for German-Austrian project

Citylink a city tram that transforms into a train when it leaves city limits, if configured accordingly Stadler Rail

The Swiss company has secured its biggest-ever contract to supply up to 504 vehicles for the VDV Tram-Train project that will service six transport companies in Germany and Austria. 

Initially, Stadler will supply 246 Citylink “train-trams” [a city tram that transforms into a train when it leaves city limits, if configured accordingly], worth around €1.7 billion (CHF1.77 billion), it said in a press statementExternal link on Monday.

Deliveries are expected to commence in 2024. An option in the contract offers the possibility of ordering 258 additional trams. The tender also includes a maintenance contract lasting up to 32 years.

“Stadler has been awarded the largest contract in the company’s history with a total volume of up to €4 billion,” it said in the statement.

The project was launched by six transport companies, including Verkehrsbetrieben Karlsruhe (VBK), Albtal-Verkehrs-Gesellschaft (AVG), Saarbahn Netz, Schiene Oberösterreich, as well as the state of Salzburg and the Regional-Stadtbahn Neckar-Alb association.

In total, including this order, Stadler has now made over 650 Citylink sales in six countries.

“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,” said Peter Spuhler, chair of the board of directors and interim CEO.