in the order
286 new SBB trains: Alstom files complaint against multi-billion dollar order against Stadler Rail for ‘inconsistencies’
For 2 billion francs, SBB wants to buy multiple units of regional traffic from Swiss rail manufacturer Stadler. The French manufacturer Alstom is fighting this.
This is what the new Stadler trains should look like.
It’s the largest order ever awarded by SBB: for two billion francs, Swiss railway Stadler Rail will produce 286 single-storey units for regional transport from Peter Spuhler. The railway was announced at the beginning of October (CH Media reported). The first of the new trains is scheduled to run from December 2025. The offer from Stadler was the best in terms of economy and quality, as cited by SBB as the reason for the award.
The French railway construction company Alstom has doubts about this. Like Siemens, he had also qualified for the contract, but received nothing. Alstom has now filed a complaint against the award of the contract, the SBB announced on Friday. The deadline for filing complaints expired Thursday.
Alstom analyzed the situation after debriefing by the three service providers SBB, RegionAlps and Thurbo, says spokesman Andreas Bonifazi. “The evaluation matrix contained inconsistencies that we would like to clarify. We are convinced that we have offered a very competitive and suitable product.” Alstom’s product is already in use in many countries and has proven itself.
The SBB writes whether the purchase of multiple units will be delayed due to the complaint and it is not possible to estimate how long this will take place at this point in time. During the whole process, “the railways placed great emphasis on complying with legal requirements.” They are buying new trains with their Thurbo and RegionAlps affiliates.
Alstom is not well known in Switzerland. At the beginning of the year, the group completed the acquisition of railroad construction company Bombardier and employs 800 people in Germany, most of them at the Villeneuve VD plant. Alstom trains used at SBB include the new double-decker long-distance train “FV-Dosto”, the older double-decker long-distance trains of the “IC 2000” type and Eurocity trains of the “Astoro” type, which follow Italy and Germany. The manufacturer is on the path of the transport company Basel and the transport company Zurich.
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