AUSTRIA: Austrian Federal Railways has awarded Škoda Group a contract to modernise six couchette cars for Nightjet overnight services, with an option for 28 more.
Škoda said the modernised coaches would feature ‘comfortable’ beds, modern lighting and updated toilets as well as an accessible compartment.
The work is to be undertaken at the Czech company’s Šumperk site for completion by 2024.
Announcing the contract on May 2, Škoda said it was an important order from a customer in western Europe, where it is aiming to strengthen its position.
‘Austria and the wider region west are very important markets for our group, and this contract further strengthens our commitment to the region’, said Jan Christoph Harder, President Region West.
‘However, we aren’t newcomers to the region. We produce state-of-the-art trams for a number of German cities. And in February we established a Škoda Group Austria subsidiary with a team of technical engineers and designers, providing a home for our business in Austria and giving us the opportunity to grow.’
