Siemens and Bombardier to Deliver 121 Double-deck Intermediate Coaches to Swiss Federal Railways (SBB)

The consortium, Siemens Transportation Systems and Bombardier Transportation has received an order from the Swiss Federal Railways (Schweizerische Bundesbahnen SBB) for the supply of 121 low-floor intermediate double-deck coaches, of which 113 will be delivered to the SBB and 8 to the Sihltal Zürich Uetliberg Bahn (SZU). The contract is valued at approximately 189 million euros ($277 million US), with a foreseeable option of 40 additional coaches. Siemens’ share amounts to up to 122 million euros ($179 million US) and Bombardier’s share amounts to up to 67 million euros ($98 million US) Deliveries are scheduled between mid October 2010 and March 2016.

The carbody will be manufactured by Siemens in Vienna, Austria while Bombardier’s site in Villeneuve (VD) will be responsible for the final assembly and commissioning, which will be carried out with support from the Bombardier site in Zurich-Oerlikon.

The double-deck coaches have been designed to meet the challenging requirements of offering maximum capacity and optimized arrangements for the handicapped, while maintaining the highest level of passenger comfort for commuter and regional traffic. Easy access is made possible by the low-floor entries, while the vestibules and corridors are designed to optimize passenger flow. The coaches are also equipped with the latest handicapped toilets.

Additional features include a cantilever seating system (unattached to the floor) that creates both additional floor-space for increased comfort and safety and also facilitates cleaning and maintenance. The coaches will feature state-of-the-art air-conditioning and a modern passenger information system.

“We are proud to be a part of the team that will deliver these new double-deck coaches to SBB”, said Alfred Ruckstuhl, Chief Country Representative for Bombardier Transportation Switzerland. “We are happy that our site, Villeneuve, will benefit from the workload that this order will bring”, he added.

“We are pleased to have won another order for rolling stock from the SBB. The double-deck coaches are equipped with the most modern technology and will enhance the quality and increase the capacity for the S-Bahn Zurich”, said Siegfried Gerlach, CEO Siemens Switzerland.