Key news and events of the rolling stock market.
JR Central has announced the purchase of another 17 high-speed Shinkansen N700S trains. The 16-car trains built by Hitachi and Nippon Sharyo are scheduled for delivery between 2026 and 2028. Earlier, JR Central ordered 59 such trains, 40 of which are currently in operation.
The Shinkansen N700S high-speed train. Source: Wikipedia
Wabtec will deliver ES434Cmi diesel locomotives to Guinea. The $277 mln order comprises an undisclosed number of six-axle 3.3 MW locomotives, which are to be used to transport iron ore on the Transguinean Railways.
The Slovak national operator ZSSK is planning to purchase up to 40 catenary and battery-powered trains with technical specifications aligned with those of the Škoda 15Ev3. The operator is now engaged in a consultation process with the relevant producers.
The commuter service provider NJ Transit has announced plans to acquire an additional 36 double-deck Alstom Multilevel III cars, both motor-powered and with driver’s cabs, allowing them to form EMUs. The first batch will arrive to New Jersey by the end of the year. This order is an option to the $170 mln contract signed in 2018 for 749 cars with Bombardier Transportation, which was acquired by Alstom in 2021.
Rendering of the Alstom MultiLevel III double-deck train. Source: Alstom
The Ministry of Transport and Communications has announced a new tender for 20 single-deck EMUs. The initial price of the forthcoming order is BGN 1.2 bln (€614 mln) VAT excluded with delivery scheduled for August 2026. At this point of time, only Alstom and Škoda Group have submitted bids, with respective offers of €337 mln and €261 mln. The initial tender for push-pull trains was unsuccessful due to the European Commission’s decision not to allow CRRC to participate.
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, MBTA, has approved the allocation of $54 mln for the purchase of an undisclosed number of battery-powered trains. The trains are expected to commence passenger service on the Boston commuter line in 2028. At the same time, Stadler is developing a battery-powered train for the US market, following the order for 16 such trains in Chicago.
Rendering of the catenary and battery-powered commuter train for Boston. Source: MBTA
Stadler has decided not to proceed with the delivery of 35 single-deck and 7 double-deck trains to Bulgaria. The delivery term is extremely short and the penalties for breach are high, making it an unfeasible agreement. In response, the Ministry of Transport and Communications has accused the Swiss manufacturer of attempting to exert undue pressure to alter the scope of the contract. Negotiations are now underway to transfer the order for 35 single-deck trains to Pesa, which was the second-ranked tenderer.
