Siemens and Stadler form consortium for Berlin S-Bahn tender

Siemens AG and Stadler Pankow GmbH have joined forces to form a consortium for the Berlin S-Bahn (suburban railway) tender. Its aim is to put forward a joint bid to the potential operator of the section open to tender (the ‘Ring’ line) for the supply, maintenance and servicing of new S-Bahn trains. The two companies can call upon many years of experience in the commuter train business. The consortium pulls together the economic clout and know-how of a large corporation and the flexibility and expertise of a medium-sized company. The two parties have cooperated reliably and successfully in the past, and the partnership between Siemens and Stadler has proven itself effective, particularly in S-Bahn projects such as the recent commuter trains supplied to the Swiss Federal Railways.

The Siemens and Stadler sites enjoy a long-standing tradition within the city and both are passionately commited to Berlin. The plan is for the new Siemens-Stadler trains to be built, maintained and serviced in Berlin/Brandenburg. This will ensure that existing jobs in the region are safeguarded and new positions created – for both partners. With the forming of the new consortium, the companies have also created a common basis for further new projects, both nationally and internationally.

As Dr. Hans-Jörg Grundmann, CEO of the Siemens Rail Systems Division explained: “We are convinced that the S-Bahn can once again be a success story. By joining forces we as Berlin-based companies intend to play our part in making the Berlin SBahn a reliable method of transportation once again. By introducing modern trains that are extremely safe, comfortable and energy and cost-efficient and can attract new customers, we want to again transform the S-Bahn into a railway for the local population.”

Michael Daum, CEO of Stadler Pankow GmbH, said: “As a Berlin company we are acutely aware of the situation with the S-Bahn. Reliability and safety are our first priority. We do not make compromises at the expense of quality. At our Berlin/Brandenburg production facility we will build state-of-the-art trains that are designed from the ground up to be both solid and reliable in operation, and safe and comfortable to travel on. And it will all be made in Berlin…”