GERMANY: Hannover transport operator Üstra has awarded CAF a framework contract to supply up to 275 TW4000 light rail vehicles for the Stadtbahn network by 2040, with a €149·98m firm order for an initial 42.
Niedersachsen transport authority LNVG is contributing €67·3m towards the cost.
The first of the LRVs are scheduled to be delivered from September 2025, enabling TW2000 and TW6000 cars to be replaced. CAF said the new fleet would offer improved passenger information, comfort and accessibility, as well as lower energy consumption partly thanks to the vehicles’ reduced weight compared to existing designs.
‘We are pleased that we have found an experienced partner in CAF who will realise our idea of a modern and comfortable light rail system’, said Üstra board member Elke Maria van Zadel. ‘Continuous investment in new vehicles and infrastructure is essential for a progressive and sustainable transport company.’
CAF’s German milestones
Announcing the contract on September 12, CAF said that in recent months it had reached important milestones in establishing itself in the German market, ’the largest accessible rail market worldwide’.
The Spanish company has recently won orders to supply 63 battery-electric multiple-units to Rhein-Ruhr and Westfalen-Lippe transport authorities, LRVs to Essen (51) and Bonn (22), trams to long standing customer Freiburg, and EMUs for the Schönbuchbahn (12). It has also acquired the intellectual property and key engineering personnel relating to the Bombardier Transportation Talent 3 multiple-unit design from Alstom.
