Stadler has signed a contract with Gysev Zrt. for the supply of 9+4 Flirt intercity EMUs. The operator railway company plans to put the vehicles into service on the Sopron-Budapest and Szombathely-Budapest routes from 2027. The new multisystem trains will have a license to operate not only in Hungary, but also in Austria.
The aluminum bodyshells of the five-car trainsets will be made by Hungarian specialists in Stadler’s center of competence for carbodies in Szolnok. The signing of the contract also has railway historical significance, as a new intercity motor trains were procured last time for Hungary exactly 30 years ago.
The contract consists of a base order of 9 Flirt intercity EMUs and an option for up to 4 units. Gysev has 3 months to decide how many optional trains it will order from Stadler starting from the date the contract enters into force. According to the delivery schedule, Stadler has time to hand over the first vehicle to Gysev within 36 months, while the last unit of the base order will enter passenger traffic on the Sopron-Budapest and Szombathely-Budapest routes within 44 months. After that, Stadler has another two years to obtain the authorisation to operate in Austria. The supplier contract will enter into force after the conclusion of the financing contract.
The purchase is financed by Gysev with loan provided by European Investment Bank EIB.
Gysev’s passengers are already familiar with Flirt trains, as the railway company ordered a total of 20 Flirt units from Stadler in three different procurements between 2013 and 2018. The new intercity EMUs, on the other hand, will differ in many respects from the previously purchased fleet, the exterior and interior appearance of the vehicle follows and reflects the higher level of service. In addition to the maintenance-friendly design, the manufacturer also equips the vehicles with modern electric traction motors, thanks to which the intercity trains can be operated with lower energy consumption values, which also reduces the overall life cycle costs of the vehicle.
The length of the five-part vehicles, capable of a speed of 160 km/h, is 106.2 meters, and the number of seats can be flexibly changed depending on the summer and winter seating arrangements. In the case of winter configuration, the number of seats is 280, of which 32 are first class. When the demand for the transport of bicycles is higher, especially during the summer season, the transport of up to 18 bicycles becomes possible by reducing the number of second-class seats.
The new vehicles are manufactured according to the latest international standards that came into force at the end of last year. The new trains are characterized by a modern passenger information system, security cameras that improve the safety of passengers, sockets for charging phones, tablets and laptops, spacious, bright, air-conditioned, low-floor passenger spaces, 2 standard and 1 PRM toilet. Due to the usually longer journey times on intercity routes, the vehicles are also equipped with food and drink vending machines, and a dining area designed for this purpose is also created for the consumption of the purchased meals.
The Flirt is Stadler’s most successful product, with more than 2,500 units sold in 21 countries since 2002. The vehicle type is also very well known in Hungary, 20 of which are currently operated by Gysev and 123 by Hungarian State Railway Company MÁV. Stadler’s domestic plant has taken a great part in the production of the most successful type, the Szolnok factory has produced almost 1,000 Flirt trains, which means a total of 3,883 carbodies. Within the framework of the order just signed, depending on all option orders, a total of 65 Flirt IC car coaches could be manufactured in Szolnok for Gysev.
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