Brief overview of key events and news in the urban rail transport market.
CRRC has signed a contract for the delivery of 24 four-car trains equipped with an ATO system. The trains will be used on two metro lines in the Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte, with the first train scheduled to commence operating in the second half of 2026. The value of the contract is undisclosed.
Bozankaya has been awarded a framework contract for the supply of up to 20 low-floor bi-directional trams to Naples. The firm part of the contract provides for ten vehicles at a cost of €2.7 each. The first tram is scheduled for delivery within a year, with four cars per month following after that.
The Sofia metro operator EAD has announced a tender for eight trains for Lines 1, 2 and 4, with a total value of €71.6 mln. The rolling stock is to be equipped with automatics compatible with Russian systems that were supplied earlier. Last year, Skoda Group and a consortium comprising Siemens Mobility and Newag were awarded contracts for the delivery of 16 metro trains to the capital of Bulgaria.
The Zurich public transport operator VBZ has exercised an option for an additional 12 seven-car Alstom Flexity trams, valued at €67 mln. VBZ has been purchasing these trams since 2017, and the delivery of the additional trams will bring the total Flexity fleet to 122 vehicles. Currently, over 60 such trams are in operation on city routes. VBZ has the option to order an additional 18 trams.
The Ust-Katav Car-building Plant (UKCP) has been awarded a contract for the supply of six single-car 71-623-04 trams to Magnitogorsk, Russia, by 10 December, with an estimated value of RUB 74 ($0.8 mln) each.
