SWEDEN: Local authority owned leasing company Transitio has placed a €148m order with Alstom for 23 four-car Coradia Nordic regional EMUs to be used by Norrtåg in northern Sweden and Västtrafik in Västra Götaland.

Ordered as part of a 10-year rail development plan for the north, the 11 Norrtåg units will be used on the Botniabanan from Umeå to Sundsvall and from Umeå to Luleå, as well as on the Sundsvall - Östersund - Storlien and Luleå - Kiruna routes. The trains for Västtrafik will operate between Kungsbacka, Göteborg and Alingsås.

The 180 km/h trainsets will be assembled at Salzgitter, with ONIX traction systems supplied from Tarbes, for delivery by autumn 2010. Alstom has sold 149 Coradia Nordic trains to Swedish operators since 2002, and a total of 289 Coradia Continental and Nordic units across in Europe.