BERN-Solothurn Regional Transport (RBS) has awarded Stadler a contract worth SFr 190m ($US 215.5m) to supply 20 three-car metre-gauge EMUs.
The trains will be used on RegioExpress Line 5 (RE5) between Solthurn and Bern. The 60m-long trains will have 21 seats in first class and 103 seats and 15 folding seats in second class accommodation. They will be capable of operating in multiples of three, increasing capacity by 50% compared with the Seconda S-Bahn trains that they will replace, which are currently used on the Bätterkinden - Bern Line S8.
These trains, which were refurbished between 2010 and 2013, are more than 30 years old and prone to faults. Spare parts are also increasingly difficult to source. NExT trains built by Stadler and introduced from 2009 will be redeployed to replace the Secondas on Line S8.
Stadler says manufacturing of the new trains at its Bussnang plant will begin in 2026 and that the first three will be delivered between mid-2027 and mid-2028. Delivery of the remainder of the fleet will commence in 2029 following the successful completion of testing and driver training. Three-train formations are expected to enter service in 2030-31.
As well as the NExT fleet, Stadler has also supplied 14 Worbla metre-gauge EMUs to RBS, the first of which was delivered in 2018. RBS operates a four-line, 57km network around the Swiss capital, Bern.
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