DSB preselects bidders for their upcoming automated S-trains
On 4 May this year, the parties behind the Danish Infrastructure Plan 2035 gave railway operator DSB the green light to put the S-trains of the future out to tender. Three train manufacturers are in the running, bidding to provide DBS with their fully automated S-trains, expected to run by 2030.
DSB has now completed the prequalification for the tender for a minimum of 226 new fully automated S-trains. The three prequalified bidders are Alstom Transport Danmark, headquartered in France, Spain-based manufacturer CAF, and a consortium consisting of Siemens Mobility A/S, Siemens Mobility GmbH and Stadler Bussnang, headquartered in Germany and Switzerland.
“We have three strong and competent bidders in the field”, says Jürgen Müller, Director of Strategy & Rolling Stock at DSB. “This ensures healthy competition and a robust tendering process, which is expected to lead to attractive offers. All three pre-qualified bidders have proven over time that they have the skills and muscles to develop, produce and deliver trains of good quality.”
DSB expects to be able to award the contract for the new automatic S-trains and their maintenance during the first half of 2025, and the first new S-trains are expected to be put into operation on the Ring Line around 2030. The new rolling stock will run on the commuter rail system in the area around the Danish capital, Copenhagen, connecting the different areas and suburbs in the greater metropolitan area.
Denmark’s largest infrastructure plan yet
The Danish parliament’s various political parties have reached a consensus to allocate approximately 22 billion euros towards the nation’s infrastructure development from now until 2035. This represents the largest infrastructure plan ever undertaken in Denmark. The primary goal of this initiative is to strengthen the connectivity between different regions within Denmark, while simultaneously alleviating traffic congestion issues on the roads. Importantly, this will be achieved without compromising the ongoing transition to a more environmentally friendly, green infrastructure. This year, funding has also been earmarked to refurbish S-train stations in Copenhagen.
In addition to substantial investments in public transportation, significant funding amounting to roughly 9 billion euros has been designated for the improvement and expansion of the country’s road network, shaping the roads of the future. This financial allocation will support various projects, including the construction of nine new motorways, one of which spans the Limfjord fjord to the west of Aalborg in North Jutland. What sets this infrastructure plan apart from previous Danish initiatives is its commitment to being carbon neutral.
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