DENMARK: Bombardier, Siemens and Talgo have prequalified for a contract to supply locomotive-hauled coaches primarily intended for use on international services to Hamburg, national passenger operator DSB announced on November 16.
The contract would cover an initial eight rakes of coaches with a capacity of least 440 passengers per rake, with options for additional vehicles or complete sets. DSB would undertake maintenance, with the supplier providing support for 16 years with an option to extend up to 30 years.
Intended to reduce the operator’s reliance on older vehicles and the troubled AnsaldoBreda IC4 trainsets, the coaches would be hauled by Siemens Vectron locomotives which DSB ordered earlier this year.
DSB expects to receive initial proposals form the prequalified bidders at the end of January, after which there would be dialogue process before final offers are submitted in mid-2019. Entry into service is planned for 2022.
‘We had several good and qualified applicants, and it is a really strong field we're left with’, said Director of Strategy & Rolling Stock Jürgen Müller, adding that this would ensure ‘fair and healthy competition’ during the bidding process.
