THE board of Belgian National Railways (SNCB) announced on December 19 the award of a 12-year framework contract to CAF to supply AM30 EMUs, placing an initial order for 180 trains worth €1.7bn.
The first batch of new trains is due to enter service in 2030, providing a total of 54,000 seats. CAF says that the order contains options to supply up to 380 more trains, providing 170,000 seats.
CAF was first selected as preferred bidder for the framework contract in February 2025, following the issue of a tender in December 2022, but its formal award was delayed by legal challenges from unsuccessful bidders Alstom and Siemens Mobility. The two appeals were turned down by Belgium’s Council of State in September.
The new EMUs will be deployed on inter-city, regional and suburban services, replacing four-car AM75, three-car AM80, and three-car AM96 EMUs. CAF will supply its Civity Duo design, combining single-deck end cars and double-deck intermediate cars.
The first order includes an unspecified number of the BEMU variant of the AM30. SNCB says that they will eventually replace its fleet of two-car AR41 DMUs, and they will also be deployed on cross-border services to avoid the need for multi-voltage rolling stock.
For detailed data on European fleet orders, subscribe to IRJ Pro.
