According to a press release, Stadler Rail AG and one of Hungary’s state-owned railway companies GYSEV Ltd, which operates in the western part of the country, have entered into a contract for the purchase of next-generation intercity tram trains. The contract is for the supply of nine plus four intercity trains. The operating railway company plans to put these vehicles into service on the Sopron–Budapest and Szombathely–Budapest lines from 2027. These new dual-mode vehicles will not only operate in Hungary but also in Austria. The bodies of the modern five-car trains will be manufactured by Hungarian specialists at Stadler’s plant in Szolnok. The signing of the contract is of historic importance for the railway, as the last time new intercity trains were purchased in Hungary was exactly 30 years ago.
The signed contract consists of a basic order for nine vehicles and options for up to four additional vehicles. GYSEV has three months from the contract’s start to decide how many option trains to order from Stadler. According to the delivery schedule, Stadler will deliver the first vehicle to GYSEV 36 months after the start of the contract, while the last unit of the basic order will be delivered within 44 months on the Sopron–Budapest and Szombathely–Budapest lines. After that, Stadler will have two more years to obtain the necessary licences to operate in Austria. The start of the transport contract is conditional on the conclusion of a financing agreement. GYSEV plans to finance the acquisition with a loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB).
GYSEV’s passenger base is already familiar with FLIRT trains, having ordered a total of 20 FLIRT trains from Stadler between 2013 and 2018. However, the new intercity vehicles will differ from the previously acquired fleet in a number of ways, reflecting a higher level of service and improvements to the trains’ exterior and interior appearance. In addition to the maintenance-friendly design, the manufacturer will equip the vehicles with modern electric traction motors, which will allow the intercity trains to operate with lower energy consumption, thus reducing the overall costs over the lifetime of the trains.
Capable of speeds of up to 160 km/h, the vehicles will be 106.2 metres long and the number of seats will be flexible depending on the summer and winter seating arrangements. The winter configuration will have 280 seats, including 32 first-class seats. In the summer configuration, when there is a greater demand for bicycle transport, the number of second-class seats will be reduced to allow for 18 bicycles. The new trains will be built to the latest international standards introduced at the end of last year. They will be equipped with a modern passenger information system, security cameras, sockets for charging phones, tablets, and laptops, spacious, well-lit, air-conditioned, low-floor passenger compartments, as well as two conventional and one accessible toilets. On long-distance services, trains will also be equipped with vending machines for food and drinks to allow longer journey times and a dining area for purchased food.
The FLIRT model is Stadler’s most successful product, with more than 2,500 units sold in 21 countries since 2002.
The vehicle type is also well known in Hungary, with 20 units currently in service with GYSEV and 123 units with Hungarian State Railways (MÁV). Stadler’s Hungarian factory has also played its part in the production of this most successful type, with nearly 1,000 FLIRT trainsets produced in Szolnok, a total of 3,883 units. Under the contract just signed, a total of 65 FLIRT IC bodies will be produced in Szolnok for GYSEV, depending on all optional orders.
Stadler has been making trains for 80 years. Headquartered in Bussnang, Eastern Switzerland, Stadler offers solutions for the manufacture, maintenance, and signalling of railway vehicles. Stadler employs around 14,000 people at various production, design, and more than 80 maintenance sites. The company is committed to sustainable mobility and stands for innovative, sustainable, and high-quality products. The company’s product portfolio includes high-speed rolling stock, intercity, regional, and suburban trains, metros, light rail vehicles, and trams for long-distance and urban transport. Stadler also produces main-line locomotives, shunting locomotives, and passenger coaches. The company is the world leader in the cogwheel railway market.
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Sources: Hungarian Conservative/Stadler Global
