Ilona Dávid, Chairwoman and CEO of Győr-Sopron-Ebenfurti Vasút Zrt. (GYSEV) and Zoltán Dunai, Hungarian Country Manager of Stadler Rail Group (Stadler) signed a contract today on the supply of 4 regional electric motor trains issued in the tender for the modernisation of service on the Sopron-Szombathely-Szentgotthárd railway line. The total value of the contract is about EUR 20 million, 85 % of which is covered by the European Union’s Cohesion Fund. According to the plans Stadler will deliver the first train in early 2014, while the last one will be delivered to the railway company in mid-2014. The carbodies of the new trains will be manufactured in Stadler’s factory in Szolnok.

GYSEV Zrt. announced a negotiated public procurement tender on 26 November 2011 for the delivery of 4 EMUs, in relation with the modernisation of the Sopron-Szombathely-Szentgotthárd (West-Hungary) railway line. On 30 March 2012 the railway company could successfully close the public procurement procedure by announcing Stadler Bussnang AG as the winner of the contract.

The total purchase price of the 4 trains is about EUR 20 million. The first FLIRT of Sopron may carry passengers as early as in the spring of 2014 while the last one will be put into service in about mid 2014.

The vehicle to be manufactured will be of similar design as that of the FLIRT trains delivered for the Hungarian railway company MÁV. The low floor vehicles that can reach speeds up to 160 km/h, will have 200 seats and room for 164 standing passengers. The FLIRTs for the Sopron railway will be equipped with modern passenger information system, air conditioning equipment, multifunctional areas for carrying bicycles and restrooms that can be easily used by people with disabilities. The vehicle will have an acceleration capability of 1.2 m/s2, enabling the trains to make up for leeways up to 10 minutes.

„The full reconstruction of the Sopron-Szombathely-Szentgotthárd line operated by GYSEV Zrt. was completed more than half a year ago. The trains have been running much faster, much safer and with much more favourable running times. Statistics show that passengers are grateful for the developments: in February this year we carried 26 % more passengers between Sopron and Szombathely and 20 % more between Szombathely and Szentgotthárd than one year ago. We intend to retain passengers choosing public transport in the long run. This may be assisted by the signing of this contract since in less than 2 years the modern FLIRT trains – that are so highly popular across Europe – can run on the Sopron – Szentgotthárd line of GYSEV’ – said GYSEV Chairwoman and CEO, Ilona Dávid, in relation to the signing of the contract.

Stadler delivered the first FLIRT EMU to the Swiss Federal Railway Company (SBB) back in 2004. Ever since then the model has been highly popular and FLIRTs are running in a total of 13 countries including, besides Switzerland, Germany, Austria, France, Norway, Italy, Poland, Algeria, Byelorussia, Estonia, the Czech Republic and of course Hungary. Thereby the FLIRT has definitely become the Group’s most popular train, of which a total of 722 units have been ordered to date.