Swiss Federal Railways (SBB), Thurbo, RegionAlps, and Stadler have signed a framework agreement for up to 510 single-decker FLIRT multiple units — the largest tender in Swiss rail history. In an initial call-off order, Stadler will deliver 286 vehicles, representing an order volume of around 2 billion Swiss francs. The Swiss Federal Administrative Court rejected the objection of an unsuccessful bidder from last year, leaving Stadler to come out on top in another hard-fought international tender and able to start building the 286 FLIRTs from the initial order. The new trains will gradually replace old rolling stock.

Stadler will produce 155 four-carriage FLIRT trains for SBB, 24 four-carriage FLIRT trains for RegionAlps, and 19 four-carriage and 88 three-carriage FLIRT trains for Thurbo. The first trains are expected to be in service from December 2025. Delivery of the last vehicle from the initial call-off order is scheduled for 2034. The framework agreement includes an option for up to 224 additional FLIRT vehicles.

Peter Spuhler, Stadler’s chairman and Group CEO (ad interim), said: “We are incredibly proud to be able to build these new trains to help expand Swiss regional transport. In 2002, SBB was the first rail operator to order the FLIRT model shortly after its development. It is a great honour for us that after a 20-year success story, the 2,500th FLIRT train sold will now also run on Swiss rails. We would like to thank SBB, Thurbo and RegionAlps for the trust they have placed in us and look forward to deepening our long-term cooperation even further.

“The FLIRT train builds on tried and tested system modules, making it a cost-effective vehicle concept that can be optimised to meet customer needs. One of the major benefits of this concept is that every train can be adapted to the requirements of regional and intercity transport.”

In addition to models with a purely electric, diesel or mixed drive, Stadler also produces FLIRT vehicles with alternative drives such as battery and hydrogen. For example, Stadler is supplying 55 battery-powered FLIRT trains to Nahverkehrsverbund Schleswig-Holstein (NAH.SH) and 58 battery-powered FLIRT trains to DB Regio in Germany; the company is also developing the first hydrogen-powered FLIRT train for the American San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA). With its battery-powered FLIRT, Stadler also holds the world record for the longest journey in a battery-powered train in battery-only mode.