Netherlands: Stadler Wins €125m Contract for Keolis

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Stadler has won a contract from Syntus and Keolis to deliver 16 FLIRT3 electric multiple units (EMU) trains in the Netherlands. The trains will run on the Zwolle–Kampen and Zwolle–Enschede lines, with passenger services expected to start by the end of 2017.

The €125million contract provides for the delivery of nine three-carriage and seven four-carriage trains, and maintenance for a period of 15 years. The FLIRT3 has a maximum speed of 160km/h; they comply with 2014 TSI standards in noise pollution, energy efficiency and reduced-mobility access.

The trains will be built in Switzerland and delivered in the summer of 2017 in order to allow for testing. The quick turn-around on the manufacture of the cars is down to the modular construction of the FLIRT3 series, and was a crucial factor in the selection process. The success of the FLIRT3 is such that Stadler has recently announced its decision to place a service centre in the Netherlands, with the exact location yet to be decided.