FERROVIENORD and Hitachi Rail Sign Contract for 50 High Capacity Trains

MILAN, Nov 4, 2021 – (JCN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) – FERROVIENORD and Hitachi Rail STS SpA signed the third supply contract for 50 high capacity “Caravaggio” regional trains for the amount of 451,850,000 euro, within the 2018 Framework Agreement. 40 trains are in long configuration (5 cars) and 10 in short configuration (4 cars). With previous contracts other 55 high capacity trains have been ordered: 30 in short configuration (21 already delivered and in revenue service) and 20 in long configuration (start of deliveries December 2021) in addition to 5 “Rock” trains (these are in revenue service).

LOMBARDY REGION PLAN – The signing of this third supply contract is part of the Lombardy Region Plan for fleet renewal that sees a total of 222 new trains for an overall investment of 1.958 billion euro: 1.607 billion euro of the plan were approved in 2017 and updated in 2019 (176 trains, out of which 105 high capacity) and integrated with the deliberation dated 17th March 2021 for further 351 million euro, for the purchase of further 46 trains; 26 high capacity “Caravaggio” trains (10 in long configuration for Malpensa airport shuttle service and 16 in short configuration for Bergamo airport shuttle service) as well as 20 “Donizetti” medium capacity trains (supply contract signed in March 2021).

DELIVERIES – Trains delivery of this third supply contract is scheduled from October 2022 to October 2024. They will be built in Hitachi Rail’s factories in Reggio Calabria and Naples.

“The regional investments – say the President of Lombardy Region, Attilio Fontana, and the city council member for Infrastructure, Transport & Sustainable Mobility, Claudia Maria Terzi, – are gradually taking place: 36 new trains purchased by Lombardy Region are already in operation on the Lombardy rail network. When the overall delivery plan is completed, the trains in service will be – on average – 12-year old, the lowest level ever reached in Lombardy. This investment allows to replace the oldest vehicles of the fleet inherited from the State. No other Region has invested so much like we did from this perspective. The aim is to make rail transport more efficient. Offering brand new, state-of-the-art trains means improving passengers travel experience and all the efforts made by the Region are going in this direction.”

“The thorough Trenord fleet renewal plan, launched in 2017 thanks to the financing and guidelines of Lombardy Region, is proceeding,” says FNM President, Andrea Gibelli. “The new trains are progressively entering into revenue service with tangible benefits in terms of service quality and comfort, and a sensible contribution to sustainability. The new trains assure a significant reduction of energy consumption and are manufactured with almost entirely recyclable materials.”

“We are steadily working to guarantee the correct and efficient delivery of the supplies,” underlines the President of FERROVIENORD, Paolo Nozza. “We are proud to contribute to the concrete realization of this great plan promoted by the Region for the improvement of Lombardy rail transport.”

“The introduction of our modern train fleets in Lombardy is a reason of great pride for our business, and we’re delighted with this new order,” says the Head of Sales & Projects Italy Rolling Stock of Hitachi Rail Andrea Pepi. “With our trains we aim to increase sustainable mobility by providing attractive products that encourage people to switch from private car to public transport in line with our decarbonization strategy.”

For more information, visit https://www.hitachi.com/New/cnews/month/2021/11/211104a.pdf.

Copyright 2021 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)