SWEDEN: Local authority Region Stockholm has awarded Škoda Group a contract to supply rolling stock to a new design for the Saltsjöbanan suburban railway.
The 18·5 km mostly single-track standard gauge line with 18 stations connects the capital with Saltsjöbaden. It is isolated from the national rail network, owned by transport authority Storstockholms Lokaltrafik and operated under contract by Stockholms Spårvägar.
The rolling stock contract signed on November 11 includes a SKr1·56bn firm order for 16 two-car X25 trainsets. There is an option for a further 15 trains, which along with spare parts and driver training would take the total value to more than €230m.
Comfort, speed and flexibility
‘We are developing a completely new type of light rail vehicle that will offer greater comfort, speed and flexibility, which are the main attributes of modern urban mobility’, said Jan Harder, President Region West & North at Škoda Group. ‘This is another in a series of strategic projects through which we aim to strengthen our position in the Nordic region and to enter a new market for our vehicles.’
The X25 sets will replace C10/C11 vehicles more than 50 years old. The are expected to be significantly quieter inside and out, and will have air-conditioning, CCTV, digital passenger information screens and mobile device charge points. Each two-car set will be 36 m long with a capacity of around 250 passengers, including 94 seated. They will have bright and open walk-though interiors, with flexible spaces for wheelchairs, prams and bicycles and priority seats highlighted in different colours.
The will be equipped for 750 V DC and 1·5 kV DC power supplies, with all bogies powered, and maximum speed of 80 km/h. Up to three trains will be able to work in multiple to increase capacity during peak hours.
The trains will be designed for operating temperatures between -25°C and +40°C. Škoda Group said that in addition to its Czech engineers, engineers from its Finnish subsidiary would play a major role in development, bringing extensive experience of designing vehicles for the demanding Nordic climate.
The first X25 vehicles are scheduled to be delivered in 2029, with entry into service planned for late 2029 or early 2030.
The order ‘is a big step forward for the Saltsjöbanan. We are investing in modern trains that provide a calmer, more comfortable journey and public transport that more people can rely on’, said SL CEO Erik Norling.
