NordWestBahn leases a further 16 new trains from Alpha Trains. Credit: © Alpha Trains / NWB S-Bahn Bremen | Michael Goll

Rolling stock leasing firm Alpha Trains has ordered an additional 16 Stadler Flirt multiple units for the Regio-S-Bahn Bremen/Niedersachsen.

NordWestBahn, which has been operating the 270km Bremen S-Bahn network since 2010, will lease these trains and operate around the Hanseatic city.

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Including the existing fleet of 35 Alstom Coradia Continental trains, NordWestBahn will operate 51 EMUs around the city.

NordWestBahn will manage the network until December 2021 when the current contract ends. The incumbent, in April this year, already received the next 15-year contract to operate the network until 2036.

Alpha Trains Passenger Division MD Thomas Schmidt said: “Renewed deployment of our existing fleet, combined with financing of these new trains, demonstrates how competitive our product and service offerings are and how satisfied our clients are, too.”

The new fleet of 16 Flirt XL will be introduced with the winter timetable change and route expansion in December 2022.

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Additionally, Alpha Trains has contracted Talbot Services to refurbish the 35 Coradia Continental Mus, which will be carried out gradually.

Talbot will be responsible for the installation of WiFi, new passenger information and video surveillance system. The exterior and interior of the trains will be revamped with a modern design.

In June, Stadler received a €100m contract from NordWestBahn to deliver 16 electrical EMUs.

According to the contract, the rolling stock manufacturer will build and supply 16 FLIRT trains that will run on the Bremen/Lower Saxony regional S-Bahn network.

Last year, Transdev Group secured a contract worth around €1.5bn to operate the 385km-long regional rail network in Hannover, Germany.

Transdev will operate the rail network via its NordWestBahn subsidiary from December 2021 to June 2034.

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