HUNGARIAN State Railways (MÁV) launched a tender on October 10 for the supply of 93 refurbished second-hand GTW regional EMUs.
The tender specifies the trains as 41 type GTW AK 40m-long trains, and 39 GTW AKL and 13 GTW AJU 56m-long EMUs to be delivered by 2035. The successful bidder will have to modify the EMUs for operation in Hungary and gain type approval.
The Hungarian government has been discussing with Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) and other parties the purchase of second-hand rolling stock to replace some of MÁV’s oldest trains. Hungary’s minister of transport and construction, János Lázár, announced on October 17 that the government has made funding available for the deal.
SBB together with Thurbo and RegionAlps signed a framework contract with Stadler to supply 510 single-deck Flirt EMUs for which SBB exercised an option for 286 trains in 2021. These will replace 110 EMUs in the SBB fleet, among them 93 Stadler GTW EMUs built between 2002 and 2005.
The 140km/h GTW trains will need to undergo considerable modification: the traction power supply needs to be changed from 15kV 16.7Hz to 25kV 50Hz and the trains need to be equipped with accessible toilets that can be used by passengers in wheelchairs. The EMUs will also be fitted with ERTMS and the couplers may have to be changed.
The SBB trains will start to be withdrawn in 2026. However, due to the length of time it will take to rebuild and certify the trains, the first 16 units are not expected to enter service in Hungary until 2029. Delivery of the remaining trains would be completed in 2035, by which time the class 431/432/433 locomotives currently operating some services that will be replaced by the GTW EMUs will be 50 to 70 years old and the Ganz class 414 EMUs will be 45 years old.
It is hoped that the Swiss EMUs will help to improve reliability and reduce operating costs due to their regenerative braking.
