Recent deals and tenders in the urban rail transport market.
Netherlands — Amsterdam’s operator GVB has launched a tender for the supply of 215 trams. The firm part includes 75 uni-directional LRVs (Series 17G) and their nine-year maintenance. The whole fleet is to enter service in 2032. There are also options for up to 140 additional trams. The new LRVs will partially replace the Siemens Combinos (Series 13G and 14G), produced between 2001 and 2005. Last year, a total of €391 mln was allocated to the purchase of new rolling stock.
Vietnam — Hyundai Rotem will supply driverless metro trains for Ho Chi Minh City’s Metro Line 2. The contract worth KRW 491 bln ($330 mln) has been signed between the South Korean producer and the local company THACO, which is in charge of the line’s construction. The size of the fleet is not disclosed. Meanwhile, part of the rolling stock will undergo assembly in Vietnam following a localisation agreement. In previous years, Vietnam ordered metro trains from French and Japanese manufacturers, Alstom and Hitachi Rail.
Ukraine — Kyiv plans to purchase 224 metro cars at a cost of €527 mln. According to the project approved by the local authorities, the city needs 174 cars to renew the current fleet and another 50 cars for the future extension of the Green Line. Kyiv is going to attract €290 mln in loans from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the European Investment Bank. In recent years, the Ukrainian capital has had two attempts to purchase a fleet of 10 five-car metro trains. The winner of the first tender was the Kryukiv Railway Car Building Works, but the Kyiv city administration refused to sign that contract. The other tender was announced in March 2025, but there are no results yet.
Tashkent 81-765.5 metro train. Source: Samvel Balayan/TransPhoto
Uzbekistan — TMH is to produce 14 four-car trainsets for the Tashkent metro. Daria Marku, General Director for TMH Urban Transport, announced the news in April during a press meeting with Uzbekistan journalists. In addition, a procurement of another 140 metro cars in 2027–2028 is also being discussed. From 2019 to 2025, Tashkent Metro received 41 trainsets (164 metro cars) of models 81-765.5/766.5/767.5 (based on the Moskva platform).
Kastor 71-639 trams in Yekaterinburg. Source: Ivan Revenkov/TransPhoto
Russia — Yekaterinburg’s city authorities have reissued the tender for the leasing of 50 three-section trams. The initial cost is RUB 13.2 bln, including VAT, and a lease term is seven years. The key specifications for the required rolling stock remain the same. The tender results are to be announced on 22 May, with the first batch of 20 vehicles scheduled for delivery by late September and the remaining 30 units by the end of the year. The previous tender failed due to mistakes in a bid from the sole participant, Sberbank Leasing.
Russia — Saint Petersburg’s Public Procurement Committee has cancelled the RUB 4.7 bln procurement of 26 trams. Two planned tenders would have called for seven three-section trams, with three of them bi-directional, along with 19 two-section LRVs. There has not been announced any official reason for the tenders’ cancellation.
Tram from Astra Vagoane in Galați. Source: KG1990/TransPhoto
Romania — The local manufacturer Astra Vagoane has won a tender for the delivery of 20 low-floor trams for the city of Ploiești. The fleet is set to be purchased at a cost of €50 mln, with €36 mln loaned from the European Investment Bank and €9 mln from EU funds. However, Bozankaya, the other bidder, is arguing the tender results, claiming that there were violations in the winner’s bid. In addition, the Turkish manufacturer has indicated that the proposed 10-year guarantee is not typical for the industry.
