Norske Tog has selected four manufacturers to compete for long-distance train tender estimated at NOK 6.5 billion (EUR 648.13 million).
Stadler, Alstom Transport Norway AS, CAF and Talgo are the qualified companies to submit tenders.
The production will start no earlier than 2024, and the trains are expected to enter service from 2026. After the first batch of trains is delivered, the contract will include an option for the order of up to a total of 100 trains.
The Norwegian state budget for 2022 includes a proposal to purchase an initial batch of 17 trains and the tender includes options which totalling NOK 8 billion (EUR 797.7 million), including the firm order.
The new trains will include sleeping compartments that can be converted into private seating compartments during the day. The company has challenged the train manufacturers to create more affordable sleeping options. This includes reclining seats, such as the first-class aicrafts’ cabins. The train design will also focus on providing increased space for luggage on board, as well as for options for families.
The long-distance train fleet will replace the existing trains reaching the end of their lives and deliver transport services across Norway meeting the future needs. The new trains will provide an opportunity to create a completely new kind of travelling experience.
“The trains we end up ordering will, at a minimum, provide customers with a service that is just as good as the one we have on offer today. We will, for example, set a requirement for sleeping compartments. However, beyond this, we will let the manufacturers use their expertise to show us what they can achieve. We create the best solutions when we work together,” Øystein Risan, CEO of Norske Tog said.
While the new trains will use familiar and established technology, they must still maintain the option to be adapted to work with the Norwegian railway network
In 2020, the Norwegian company has announced the tender as part of the programme to renew its rolling stock. In December, a EUR 414 million framework agreement was signed with Alstom for the delivery of 200 EMUs.
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