MUNICH (dpa-AFX) - Siemens and the Swiss Stadler Group will deliver hundreds of driverless S-Bahn trains for Copenhagen. The contract value for the consortium amounts to around three billion euros, according to statements from the companies.
Specifically, the deal concerns 226 trains including maintenance for 30 years, with an option for up to 100 additional trains. According to Siemens, this will create the world's largest open rail system with automated train operation.
The customer, Danish State Railways (DSB), describes this as the largest investment in the 90-year history of the S-Bahn in Copenhagen. By transitioning to fully automated operations, DSB aims to increase frequency and capacity. In some cases, there will be up to 35 percent more departures, resulting in ten million additional passengers per year.
On the central network, trains will run at intervals of just one and a half minutes during peak hours. In 2025, around 111 million passengers used the S-Bahn in the Danish capital, with numbers continuing to rise. The first new trains are scheduled to enter service from 2032, with the remainder to follow by 2040.
Siemens Leads the Consortium
How the financial contract volume is divided between the two partners was not specified in detail. However, Siemens is the so-called consortium leader and will be responsible for the electrical equipment, including drive and braking technology, onboard power supply, vehicle and train control, passenger information systems, as well as bogies.
Stadler will supply the car bodies, couplings, all interior fittings and seats, air conditioning systems, as well as doors, and will also handle the final assembly of the trains. Maintenance will be managed by Siemens.
This is not the first order for the Munich-based DAX group in Copenhagen. The partnership has existed for many years, emphasized Michael Peter, head of the Siemens Mobility division responsible within the group. "We are already modernizing the S-Bahn network with the latest signaling technology for fully automated operation by 2033 on behalf of Banedanmark and DSB."/ruc/DP/jha
