GERMANY: Following a month-long tendering process, DB has awarded five framework contracts covering the supply of up to 300 regional DMUs to Alstom, Siemens and Stadler. Orders can be called off as required up to 2011 at a total cost of €430m.

'We want to have modern, efficient vehicles available at short notice, for when DB Regio wins new traffic’, said Dr Lutz Bücken, General Manager, Rail Systems Group, at DB Regio.

There are two contracts for single-car units, with Alstom LHB supplying its LINT 27 design designated VT640 and Stadler the VT650 RegioShuttle type it has built for other German operators. Two contracts cover existing two-car designs: the VT642 (Siemens Desiro Classic) and VT648 (Alstom LINT 41). The fifth contract also placed with Alstom LHB covers a three-car variant of the VT648.

The contracts provide for the ?vehicles to be fitted out according to customer requirements, with flexible seating, multi-purpose areas and entry heights.