DB Regio has issued a tender for the development, manufacture, commissioning, approval and delivery of 400 next generation S-Bahn trains to operate the commuter network in Rhine-Main, Stuttgart and Munich regions. Bids must be submitted by March 31, 2025.
The procurement process will subsequently take the form of an open competition among the parties invited to participate in the forthcoming Invitation to Tender which will be published on April 10th. In October 2025 the first submission of the tender will take place followed by negotiations while in December the best and final offer will be announced. In January 2026 the winner will be announced.
DB Regio AG intends to split the framework agreement into up to three contracts that will begin on April 1, 2026 and end on March 31, 2034 thus the call-offs are possible within a period of 8 years after the framework agreement comes into force.
The procurement of the new electric multiple units (EMUs) will not be funded by the European Union.
The framework contract also includes the provision of maintenance services, supply of spare parts and management as well as IT services.
According to the tender procedure, the agreement defines technical and contractual options with associated prices, the implementation or non-implementation of which DB Regio will individually select in each call. In addition, the contracting public transport authorities can make additional requirements or request services that must be offered in addition to the respective call.
The procurement of the new next generation S-Bahn trains is part of company’s “S-Bahn 2029+” vehicle concept project. This is characterised by the fact that vehicles based on this concept are standardised as successors to the current series that are coming to the end of their life and can be used across regions as metropolitan S-Bahn vehicles.
The subject of the award is a framework agreement for the next generation S-Bahn trains fully equipped with modern technologies and delivering passengers increased comfort and amenities. The S-Bahn 2029+ vehicle concept is based on the intelligent combination of uniform standards and flexible modularisation which enables the metropolitan S-Bahn trains to be flexibly adapted to customer needs in the respective area of operation.
Thus, the next generation S-Bahn trains would be 68 metre long with a capacity of 600 passengers able to run at 160 km/h. The trains must be capable of operating in multiple units with up to three trains, to have a maximum axle load of 200 tonnes and level access at platform heights of 960 mm.
The new trains must have door width that will not exceed 160 cm and a stand back area of at least 30 cm and a car body width of at least 3,020 mm.
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