Switzerland: Stadler has predictably appealed the outcome of the tender to the country’s Federal Administrative Court. Earlier, in a large framework procurement for up to 200 six-car double-deck trains, the national operator SBB declared the German manufacturer Siemens Mobility the winner instead of the Swiss producer.
Commenting on the appeal, Stadler stated that it offered KISS trainsets for delivery. According to the manufacturer, their technical readiness stands at 99%. Meanwhile, Siemens Mobility plans to supply trains of a future model which, in Stadler’s words, “exist only on paper” (see render). However, it is worth noting that the German manufacturer has long been producing the double-deck Desiro HC, which is widely used in various modifications worldwide, including in Zurich’s urban rail system in Switzerland.
Stadler also expressed puzzlement as to why it scored fewer points on the criteria of operating costs, quality, maintenance, and sustainability. The company insists on an independent expert review of the evaluation of its offer.
SBB has already responded, reiterating that the tender was conducted in accordance with public procurement laws. Furthermore, the operator denied Stadler’s claim that the price difference between the two bids was only 0.6%. This difference related solely to the trains’ purchase price. Operating costs, including 25 years of maintenance, were assessed by Stadler as being higher by “a three-digit amount in millions of francs”.
The dispute has been further intensified by reports from Blick newspaper sources alleging that after the tender results were announced, SBB CEO Vincent Ducrot received threats accusing him of treason. According to the publication, Ducrot had to use bodyguards for several days. SBB itself has neither officially confirmed nor denied this information.
