04.06.09
Another good business year for Stadler despite the difficult economic environment
The Stadler Rail Group closed the year 2008 with a consolidated turnover of CHF 1.065 billion, compared to CHF 1.24 billion in the previous year. The development of the order book was particularly pleasing, and set a new record at CHF 2.6 billion. This will ensure a solid basic utilization of capacity up to 2010, and will thereby also safeguard jobs. However, to ensure the full use of our capacities in the medium-term further orders are necessary. As the economic prospects have only improved marginally, it is difficult to make any forecasts about our future business. Despite these uncertainties, Stadler is prepared to invest more than CHF 90 million in order to build up additional capacities and to increase the number of jobs available.
Received orders reach a new record level
In the past year, Stadler has achieved the highest order intake in its history, amounting to a total of CHF 2.6 billion. This will ensure a solid utilization of capacity over the next 18 to 24 months, and will thereby safeguard the workplaces that have been created in the company’s recent history.
Stadler has been able to win numerous requests for tenders. Of particular importance for the strategic alignment of the company are the orders from the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) for 50 double-decker trains for the Zurich S-Bahn and from the Norwegian State Railways (NSB) for 50 FLIRTs for the S-Bahn traffic in the Greater Oslo area and for the Intercity transport in the south of the country. Thanks to these two orders, Stadler has been able to enter into the market sectors of the double-decker electric multiple unit (EMU) and the single-decker Intercity transport with a top speed of up to 200 km/h. In addition, these two orders will pave the way for the entry into the market sector for double-decker long-distance transport. This is crucial in order to sustainably safeguard workplaces, and to retain the innovation know-how in the construction of rail vehicles that has been built up in Engineering.
Important milestones have also been able to be set in the streetcar market sector. Again in Norway, the German Stadler subsidiary Pankow has succeeded in concluding a contract with the City of Bergen for the delivery of 12 Variobahns, with an option for a further 20 vehicles. Additional streetcar orders have also been received from Graz, Munich and Potsdam.
Additional national and international contracts
Important orders have been received in the S-Bahn and regional transport sector from the SBB (32 additional FLIRTs), as well as from the German operator VIAS (19 FLIRTs). As a result, the number of sold FLIRTs has now passed the 500-mark. In addition, Ferrotramviaria (Italy) and Les Transports Régionaux Neuchâtelois (TRN) have each ordered two additional FLIRTs, while the Hessische Landesbahn (HLB) intends to put nine of these vehicles into service on the Main-Lahn-Sieg route.
The Regio-Shuttle (RS-1) is also performing well in the market, with 41 sold vehicles (3 RS-1 for Rehnus Veniro and 38 RS-1 for BeNex). In addition, the Rhaetian Railway (RhB) and the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (MGB) have exercised their option for eight panorama passenger coaches for the Glacier Express, while orders for the GTW articulated multiple unit have increased to 470. The order book is rounded off by additional orders and inspection contracts.
Investment
The double-decker EMU and the Intercity FLIRT are larger and longer than the railcars that have been delivered to date. The entry into these two new market sectors requires an expansion of the production infrastructure and an increase of the production capacity. Stadler is thereby investing more than CHF 90 million. Stadler Altenrhein is currently being expanded to become the Competence Centre for Double-Decker multiple unit. A new building will supplement the existing factory halls. Around CHF 30 million is being invested in this site, which will result in a capacity for slightly more than two 6-part double-decker EMU per month. At the same time, Stadler is creating a new Competence Centre for Bogies in Oberwinterthur for an investment volume of CHF 28 million, and is also setting up a new commissioning centre in Erlen, Thurgau. According to the current state of planning, the total investment for this will amount to around CHF 35 million. Thanks to these investments, Stadler will increase its production capacity in Switzerland to 2.4 million hours (» 140 FLIRTs per year).
„We believe in our competitiveness, which is why we are prepared to invest more than CHF 90 million, even in these difficult economic times. Hence, these investments will only pay back if we continue with our good performance and keep on winning further orders in the medium term.” says Peter Spuhler, CEO and majority shareholder of the Stadler Rail Group.
Outlook for the future
Despite the good order book, Stadler will not be resting on its laurels during the next 18 to 24 months. The next major challenge is already standing before the door with the SBB Request for Tenders for the procurement of double-decker EMU for long-distance transport. Stadler will participate in this invitation to tender. Thereby it will base its tender on the concept of the double-decker railcars for the Zurich S-Bahn, which, for the customer, will create a large potential for synergies with regard to the management of the fleet. For Stadler it was strategically decisive to win the double-decker contract for the Zurich S-Bahn, because it allowed entering the double-decker EMU market sector. However, this business area, and the investments in infrastructure that have been made for it, can only be secured sustainably if additional contracts can be won at home and abroad. These are also essential in order to be able to defend the technological leadership in the construction of rail vehicles that has been built up with regard to foreign competitors.
Stadler Rail Group, the system provider for customised solutions in rail vehicle manufacture, has locations in Switzerland (Altenrhein, Bussnang and Winterthur), in Germany (Berlin-Pankow and Velten), in Poland (Siedlce), in Hungary (Budapest, Pusztascabolcz and Szolnok), as well as in Algeria (Algiers). More than 2,400 people are employed group-wide. The best-known vehicle families of the Stadler Rail Group are the GTW articulated multiple units (470 trains sold), the RS1 Regio Shuttle (402 trains sold), the FLIRT (515 trains sold) and the DOSTO double-decker S-Bahn train (50 trains sold) in the railway segment, and the Variobahn (255 vehicles sold) and the newly developed Tango (90 vehicles sold) in the tramway segment. In addition, Stadler manufactures passenger coaches and diesel electric locomotives, and is the leading manufacturer of rack railway vehicles worldwide.
If you have any further questions, please contact:
Stadler Rail Group
Vincenza Trivigno, General Secretary
Telephone: ++41 (0) 71 / 626 20 34
Mobile: ++41 (0) 79 / 430 69 68
Vincenza.trivigno@stadlerrail.ch