Swiss rail operator SBB has released a tender for 116 new double-decker trains as it looks to replace the first-generation trains on its Zurich S-Bahn network by the 2030s.
The multi-billion-euro order would replace the DPZ and HVZ-D trains used on the network and in western Switzerland, and will also include an option for 84 additional vehicles to serve the national government’s 2035 expansion phase.
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Interested parties will have until the beginning of 2025 to place a bid, with SBB set to make a decision on a manufacturer by the end of that year.
The first-generation trains have been in use on the network, serving the country’s biggest city, since the 1990s and will be due for replacement in the 2030s after reaching the end of their service life.
SBB is also seeking to improve on the existing rolling stock as the tender calls for 150m long trains, 50m longer than the current vehicles, offering 500 seats each, an increase of 155.
Other requirements outlined in the tender includes capability of speeds up to 160km/h, power sockets for 1st and 2nd class areas, and multifunctional spaces for commuters to stand and store bicycles, prams, and luggage.
Of the new trains, 95 will be used on the Zurich S-Bahn and the other 21 will be in service on the RER Vaud and RE33 Martigny-Annemasse lines in western Switzerland.
The prospective order continues SBB’s recent investment into its rolling stock, which has included orders for 33 FLIRT trains to serve new connections to France, and five Giruno high-speed trains for its services to Italy.
