Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) and Stadler have signed contracts for the supply and the maintenance of Next Generation Passenger Trains for the operation on the growing railway network in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
With these landmark contracts, SAR is taking the next step towards the VISION 2030 development of railway operation. For Stadler these are the first contracts in one of the fastest growing railway markets, the GCC-region.
The total contract volume is approx. 600 Mio CHF.
The signature was witnessed by H.E. Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, Minister of Transport and Logistic Services of Saudi Arabia and Chairman of the board of SAR as well as the Swiss Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin, emphasizing the strategic importance of this cooperation for the bilateral relationship between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Switzerland.
The new trainsets will be designed according to latest European and International Standards while being equipped particularly for the climatic and ambient conditions in Saudi Arabia. They will be approx. 175m long, self propelled with two independent diesel-electric power heads meeting the latest European emission standards stage V and cater for approx. 320 passengers. The new trainsets will elevate train travel in the Kingdom to the next level in terms of passenger comfort, travel experience and reliability. They will be ready to operate on SAR´s growing railway network throughout the country and will connect the growing cities of the Kingdom.
The supply contract consists of a base contract for 10 trainsets with an option of another 10 trainsets. The maintenance contract provides full maintenance support and spare parts for a period of 10 years with an option to be extended to additional 10 trainsets for 10 years.
The contract follows an international tender procedure of SAR in 2022, the selection of Stadler as preferred bidder to SAR in 2023 and an extensive negotiation process. However, with two large other contracts in the MENA region Stadler does have significant design experience for the relevant climatic and ambient conditions, statement mentioned.
