CAF wins Auckland railcar contract
Auckland, New Zealand, has signed a contract with Spanish-based CAF to supply and maintain 57 three-car electric multiple units (EMU) that will be operated on the Auckland suburban network.
Auckland, New Zealand, has signed a contract with Spanish-based CAF to supply and maintain 57 three-car electric multiple units (EMU) that will be operated on the Auckland suburban network.
The $500m deal will include $400m for the supply of 57 three-car trains and a $100m contract for ten years of maintenance of the EMUs.
The trains will begin operating from the end of 2013 and will replace the diesel units and diesel locomotive hauled trains currently being used.
The 25kV, 50Hz EMUs will have stainless steel-bodied units derived from the Class 332 units that CAF and Siemens supplied to operate Heathrow Express services in the UK.
The new trains are expected to be quieter and faster than the diesel units they are replacing.
The trains are expected to be delivered from mid-2013 and will enter service in 2014.
The New Zealand government has invested $1.1bn in the redevelopment and electrification of Auckland’s metro rail network to bring it up to a functional and reliable standard.