Stadler continues to grow in the far north: service contract for over 100 trains in Norway

Stadler has won the contract to maintain more than 100 FLIRT trains in Norway from the railway operator Vy, formerly NSB – this is the largest single fleet Stadler has ever contracted.  The contract covers FLIRT trains ordered by NSB from Stadler in 2008 and delivered continuously in subsequent years. Stadler will begin maintenance of the trains in the 1st quarter of 2020.

Vy and Stadler have signed the contract for the maintenance of more than 100 trains. These are FLIRT units built by Stadler. The five-car electric multiple units mainly operate in the greater Oslo area. The scope of work includes full service – preventive and corrective maintenance – excluding bogie overhauls. The contract will run until the end of 2024, including options, and represents an order value of nearly 100 million francs.

In terms of fleet size, the order from the Norwegian train operator Vy is the largest service order ever received in the growing service and components reporting segment. This success in Norway increases the number of FLIRT trains under maintenance to 620 units – that is 40 percent of all the FLIRT units sold. With Stadler’s full service, not only do availability, reliability and fail-safe operation increase, but fewer reserve units are required by fleet operators.

Vy’s order is the latest in the series of recent Stadler successes in the Nordic countries. In Sweden, Stadler acquired Swedtrac, a company specialising in modernisation, from Knorr-Bremse at the beginning of 2018. Also in Sweden, 33 four-car double-decker trains are under construction for Transitio. In Norway, as well as the Vy trains, VARIOBAHN trams are in service in Bergen. In Denmark, every day passengers in Aarhus travel on VARIOBAHN and TANGO trams built and maintained by Stadler. In addition, Stadler is to deliver 16 trams to Odense.

Tormod Gjermundsen, Vice president from Vy tog commented on the contract awarded to Stadler: «Our experiences and cooperation with Stadler as a manufacturer of trains is very good. All trains have been delivered on time, with a high quality and with Stadler being responsive to our needs. Our expectations are therefore high and we are looking forward to continuing this good cooperation also when it comes to train maintenance.»

Jürg Gygax, head of Stadler's service division, in turn reacted to today’s success: «We are very pleased about this order and the expansion of our presence in Scandinavia. We will do everything we can to further increase the availability of the Vy fleet, which is already at a high level, thereby improving punctuality and customer satisfaction for Vy passengers.»

Stadler will carry out the maintenance work in rented depots.