Bernmobil has awarded Stadler (www.stadlerrail.com) a contract to supply up to 50 Tramlink trams.

The first ‘procurement batch’ comprises 27 vehicles and is worth about 125 million Swiss francs.

The 20 bidirectional and seven unidirectional vehicles will be delivered between 2023 and 2025; they will replace 12 Vevey and nine RBS trams that are approaching the end of their service life.

On 31 October 2018, Bernmobil put 20 low-floor trams out to tender as bi-directional vehicles, together with options for a further 30 vehicles.

By the deadline of 18 March 2019, offers had been submitted by Stadler, CAF and Siemens. Bernmobil says Stadler’s offer proved to be most economical, based on low acquisition and maintenance costs, low energy consumption, high passenger capacity and “a successful interior design”.

All the new trams for Bern are 42.5m long, with 52 seats in the bidirectional vehicles and 68 in the unidirectional vehicles.

In order to improve safety, the new vehicles will feature a brake assist system.