GVB Activa BV, the Amsterdam public-transport company, has selected the Spanish train company CAF (www.caf.net) as preferred bidder for the supply of a series of new metro trains.

The order includes the supply of 30 metros (designated M7), options for up to 30 more, as well as the optional extension of the ordered metros from three-carriage units to six-carriage types.

The metros will replace older-generation metros still in service and will provide extra capacity on Amsterdam’s metro network.

The capital of the Netherlands, which has a population of more than 800,000, is ‘challenged’ by an increasing number of passengers, due to new residential areas, growing economic activity and the increasing number of tourists.

The new metros for Amsterdam consist of three carriages, but they can be coupled in pairs. Moreover, they are prepared for driverless operation, as well as being energy-efficient and easy to maintain.

This order marks a new step in the long-lasting relationship between GVB and CAF. In 1994, CAF was awarded a contract for the supply of 37 metros, while in 2016 GVB awarded CAF a contract for the supply of 63 trams (this project is still on-going).

In the first four months of this year, CAF secured contracts worth about 350 million euros; these include projects relating to the Barcelona metro, trams for the Spanish city of Vitoria, and the Naples metro extension.