Belgium: The national railway company SNCB has chosen a Spanish manufacturer as a supplier of choice. According to Trends-Tendances, CAF offered to fulfil the framework contract for €3.4 bln, of which the firm part is almost €1.7 bln. The scope of the potential deal represents 25.6% of the company’s current rail backlog of orders of €13.25 bln.
The winning bidder of the tender, announced at the end of 2022, is expected to supply a large number of trains over a period of 12 years. Although their number is not disclosed to the public, it is said to be the largest in the history of the Belgian railways. The vehicles to be supplied are partially double-decker three- and four-car AM30 and single-deck MR30 EMUs with contact batteries. The latter would have a maximum operating speed of 160 km/h in catenary mode and 120 km/h in battery mode.
The rolling stock offered by CAF can be based on the Civity platform (pictured). The first AM30 trains are expected to enter revenue service in the second quarter of 2029.
Alongside CAF, Alstom and Siemens Mobility also submitted bids. Local media report that Alstom’s bid was €100 mln lower than CAF’s. According to La Capital newspaper, Alstom Benelux managing director Bernard Belvaux sent a letter to Belgian Transport Minister Jean-Luc Crucke warning of possible job cuts at its Belgian sites in Charleroi and Bruges as a result of CAF’s victory.
The mayor of Charleroi Thomas Dermine is also calling for another bidder to be chosen, pointing out that CAF has no factories in the country. It is worth noting that Alstom was the counterpart to SNCB’s previous major contract for up to 1,362 double-deck cars worth €3.3 bln, which were delivered well ahead of schedule.
In response to the criticism, SNCB stressed that under EU law it could not give a higher score to a bidder who guaranteed local production. In addition, the proposed supply and maintenance price accounts for 50% of the bid evaluation.
