Arriva and Stadler Rail are celebrating the joint roll-out of the first electric articulated multiple-unit train (EMU-GTW) in the Dutch provinces of Overijssel and Drenthe. In mid-2010, Arriva Netherlands placed an order with Stadler for 14 EMU-GTWs for the Vechtdallijnen concession. These vehicles have been developed in many areas and, as such, are improved versions of the Arriva GTW trains that are already successfully in service.

Arriva is one of the largest public transport service providers in Europe. Their buses and trains carry more than 1.5 billion passengers in 12 countries every year. The company was taken over by Deutsche Bahn in August 2010. In June 2010, Arriva Netherlands ordered a total of 38 GTW articulated multiple-unit trains from Stadler, of which 24 were for the province of Gelderland and the remaining 14 for the provinces of Overijssel and Drenthe. This brings the total number of GTW trains ordered by Arriva for use in various parts of the Netherlands since 2005 to 99.

Christian König, Sales Director Switzerland and Netherlands of Stadler Rail Group, is pleased about the development: “We are proud to bring Stadler state-of-the-art low-floored vehicles into service in two other provinces in the Netherlands. Once again, Stadler was able to process the order quickly. This was only possible thanks to the real commitment and enthusiasm of all those involved. I am very grateful to all of them.”

Anne Hettinga, Managing Director Arriva Netherlands: “It is a milestone in the implementation when the first trains coming out of the factory. With the Roll Out we let our clients see that we are on schedule with the implementation. In additition, our clients can see with their own eyes that we are on schedule and can judge that the trains to all the requirements and extra offers we have done. “

The vehicles are essentially based on the various EMU-GTW trains delivered to Arriva since 2005. The trains are air-conditioned and 75% low-floored. Legroom is very generous in all compartments. Up to four trains can run at the same time in multiple-unit operation. The vehicles are made of lightweight aluminium. The vehicles have public WLAN, five TFT monitors in each carriage a working area and a silence area. The trains are also designed in accordance with the TSI standard for disabled access.