GERMANY: Following a Europe-wide tender, on March 24 Nordhessen transport authority NVV selected incumbent Cantus for a 15-year contract to operate Nordost-Hessen-Netz regional services between December 2016 and December 2031.
The services linking Kassel, Göttingen and Fulda and between Bebra and Eisenach have been operated by the Cantus joint venture of BeNEX and Hessischer Landesbahn since 2006. The new contract covers the operation of around 3·9 million train-km/year, using a fleet of 21 Stadler Flirt electric multiple-units.
'This was a crucial contract', said Cantus Managing Director Andreas Ortz. 'Employees have been eagerly awaiting this decision for the last few weeks. We are proud that our bid has succeeded, and we can continue on our successful course.'
