The Bavarian passenger transport authority (BEG) in Germany has selected UK public transport operator National Express as the preferred bidder for all Nuremberg S-Bahn services.
The two 12-year contracts will allow National Express to operate the whole S-Bahn Nuremberg network, which covers five rail lines that serve routes from Nuremberg to Erlangen and Bamberg, Ansbach, Roth, Allersberg, Neumark, Altdorf and Hartmannshof.
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The contracts are expected to generate more than €1.4bn over the 12-year period.
National Express Group chief executive Dean Finch said: "This new rail contract in Bavaria, which builds on our earlier success in North Rhine-Westphalia, is further evidence that our track record in running the UK’s leading rail franchise is recognised internationally."
The S-Bahn services operate in all major German metropolitan areas and serve more than 20 million passengers a year.
The service is currently operated by Deutsche Bahn (DB Regio) and National Express will start its operation from December 2018.
As part of this development, the UK operator will purchase 38 new electric five car trains on behalf of BEG.
In 2013, National Express won a contract for two regional rail routes in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, and these services are expected to start operation in December this year.
In the UK, it operates the C2C rail franchise that runs rail services between London and south Essex.
