GERMANY: A dispute over Go-Ahead Bayern’s decision to appoint a subsidiary of Russian company Transmashholding to maintain a fleet of Stadler Flirt3 electric multiple-units has been resolved, and the manufacturer handed over the first of the units to the future operator in Augsburg on August 18.
In December 2020, Go-Ahead awarded Transmashholding’s Switzerland-based TMH International subsidiary a contract to maintain 22 Stadler Flirt3 EMUs ordered for used on E-Netz Allgäu services, as well as 56 Siemens Mobility EMUs for use under the separate Augsburger Netze Lot 1 operating contract.
Stadler then raised concerns about the potential for industrial espionage, telling Railway Gazette International on May 7 that because TMHI is active in rolling stock development, production and maintenance, it believed that Go-Ahead had not met a contractual condition which prohibited maintenance being subcontracted to a competitor.
Go-Ahead said third-party train maintenance contracts were common, but began drawing up contingency plans in case the Stadler EMUs were not available by the start of the operating contract in December.
The dispute has now been resolved. Terms are confidential, but Go-Ahead confirmed to Railway Gazette International that it had outsourced its vehicle maintenance to TMHI as planned.
‘We are pleased to have reached the agreement’, said Jure Mikolčić, CEO of Stadler Deutschland. The last of the 22 units is expected to be delivered in October, enabling entry into service on the München – Memmingen – Lindau route from December 12.
‘It is very good that both companies were able to come to an agreement on this. Now our passengers can look forward to the start of operations’, said Thomas Prechtl, Managing Director of Bayern railway agency BEG which plans and finances the Land’s rail services.
