BELGIUM: National passenger train operator SNCB has finally awarded CAF a 12-year framework contract to design, manufacture and supply the AM30 train fleet, following unsuccessful legal challenges to the selection of the Spanish company.
The agreement confirmed by SNCB board on December 19 covers an initial €1·7bn firm order for 180 electric and battery-electric multiple-units with a total capacity of 54 000 passengers. The contract requires the first units to enter service in 2030. The order could be expanded to by up to 380 additional units with a capacity of 170 000 passengers.
The AM30 fleet will gradually replace older rolling stock, improving reliability and offering independent access for people with reduced mobility, quiet zones, information screens, wi-fi and space for bicycles. The battery-electric trains will eventually replace existing diesel multiple-units.
Delayed award
At the end of 2022 SNCB called tenders for the supply of 160 km/h 3 kV DC EMUs which would allow it to replace much of its older rolling stock with a smaller number of modern designs.
CAF was selected as preferred bidder on February 28 2025. The operator said CAF had offered the best price to quality ratio, with its higher-quality proposal beating a lower-priced offer.
The selection attracted political criticism because Alstom has factories in Brugge and Charleroi, but SNCB said European Union procurement rules prevented it from preferring local production. Alstom challenged SNCB’s decision, and the administrative court put the contract award on hold pending a re-evaluation.
The court suspended the decision in April, saying SNCB had not clearly specified the method used to evaluate the technical quality of the bids.
Following further legal and technical analysis, on July 23 SNCB said that its original ranking of CAF, Siemens Mobility and Alstom remained unchanged. It said all three bidders had mentioned the involvement of a local service provider, and it would invite CAF to pursue this option. The board would also ask CAF to confirm that its activities comply with international law and human rights.
Appeals by Alstom and Siemens Mobility were definitively rejected by the court in September.
Commenting on confirmation of the order, CAF said its ‘long track record of success in Benelux in recent years warrants mention’, highlighting contracts for the supply of metro trains to Brussels, metro trains and trams for Amsterdam and trams for Luxembourg, Utrecht, Belgium’s coast line, Antwerpen and Liège, as well as more than 200 commuter trains for Dutch operator NS.
