Belgium Train Operator Grants Spain’s Caf €3.4b Contract

The Spanish train shaper CAF has outbid each different competitors, winning a 3.4 billion-euro statement to build hundreds of trains to renew Belgium’s railway fleet, nan National Railway Company of Belgium (SNBC) said connected Wednesday via a press release. The determination has not passed without controversy, arsenic section unions are concerned complete home employment.

SNBC intends to renew astatine slightest half of its fleet by 2023 and summation it wherever imaginable to meet an expected emergence successful rider demand, according to nan property release.

“The 2023-2032 Public Service Contract concluded pinch nan Belgian State successful December 2022 stipulates that 50 per cent of nan SNCB fleet will beryllium renewed by nan extremity of this period, successful peculiar to meet nan expected maturation successful rider numbers, amended customer comfort, and switch aging, breakdown-prone rolling banal pinch much flexible, energy-efficient rolling stock,” nan institution stated.

CAF tin present connected clip and point

CAF outbid nan different 2 bidding finalists because nan Belgian institution believes it tin present nan caller railcars connected time, arsenic it is of nan highest privilege for nan country.

“The Board of Directors approved nan action and nan grant criteria and launched a European telephone for tenders for a model statement for nan transportation of caller railcars, including 54,000 seats arsenic portion of an first order,” nan institution added.

They explained that each caller trains must connection each nan basal comfortableness for passengers, including autonomous accessibility for group pinch reduced mobility, quiet zones, accusation screens, connectivity, and capable abstraction for bicycles.

“The bid will besides see battery-powered trains intended to switch nan existent diesel railcars eventually,” SNBC said.

One of nan requirements successful nan bidding rules called connected nan manufacturers to mention nan usage of section work providers. 

The Board of Directors has instructed management, arsenic portion of nan ongoing discussions pinch nan preferred bidder successful mentation for nan last grant decision, to petition confirmation from CAF that its activities comply pinch world rule and quality rights.

Wednesday’s confirmation follows nan Belgian Council of State’s impermanent suspension of NMBS’s determination to name CAF arsenic nan top-ranked bidder successful February 2025, Belga News Agency reported.

Sparking controversy

In response, NMBS re-evaluated its determination and issued a caller justification successful statement pinch nan Council’s ruling. The institution has stated that nan original ranking of nan bidders—CAF, Siemens, and Alstom—remains unchanged pursuing further ineligible and method analysis.

The Belgian news agency besides said nan determination to grant nan statement to CAF has sparked contention successful Belgium. 

“Trade unions and section politicians person criticised nan removal of nan French shaper Alstom, informing that this could jeopardise nan early of its Bruges factory, which employs hundreds of people,” they noted. “Critics reason that nan SNBC’s determination fails to prioritise home employment.”

Negotiations pinch CAF are ongoing, and nan SNBC committee has ensured they will spot general confirmation pinch nan Spanish institution that its operations do not impact section employment.