Press releases

2022/07/08

CAF WINS CONTRACT TO SUPPLY REGIONAL UNITS TO THE SWEDISH OPERATOR SJ AB

The Swedish state-owned operator SJ AB has selected CAF to supply the 25 regional units, which could be extended to a total of 60 units should the contract extension options be triggered. The volume of the basic contract secured for these 25 units amounts to approximately €300 million, with the first trains scheduled to be commissioned for revenue service in 2026. 

These are CAF Civity Nordic platform units, designed for regional and inter-regional service and equipped to withstand the extreme weather conditions in Sweden, in a snowy environment with temperatures falling as low as -40ºC. The trains will be made 5-car consists and will run at speeds of 200 km/h. They will also have ample capacity (3 coupled trains will provide approximately 1,000 available seats) securing easy access and flexibility for all types of passengers. 

SJ Group is a public company with a workforce of 5,400 which operates the majority of Sweden's rail network, connecting Stockholm with the other Scandinavian capitals, Copenhagen and Oslo. Providing transport to in excess of 150,000 passengers daily, the company is renowned for its highly efficient and environmentally friendly services. This is evidenced by SJ being named Sweden's most sustainable brand and the country's best transport company, as well as Europe's leading digital transport company. 

SJ is currently implementing a plan to upgrade its fleet - with some of the units nearing the end of their service life - and to expand the capacity of its trains to accommodate the expected demand growth over the course of the next few years. This is in line with achieving a cutting-edge and comfortable service for its customers and a more sustainable and efficient operation by reducing energy consumption and maintenance support costs. 

CAF'S COMMITMENT TO THE NORDIC MARKET

This new contract confirms CAF's commitment to the Nordic market. In 2019, the CAF Group purchased the Swedish company EuroMaint, the leading company in its country in the train maintenance sector and a benchmark company in the Nordic railway market, with a significant market share in the train fleet maintenance sector, an activity the company combines with the supply of railway components for operators in the region. This purchase consolidated CAF's foothold in the area as regards new project opportunities in the Scandinavian region, a market where a significant number of tenders are expected to be announced over the next few years. 

It must also be noted that CAF has already executed a significant amount of projects in the region, most notably the supply of high speed units for Norway, the production of metro units for Helsinki, as well as the supply of tram fleets both in Sweden (Stockholm and Lund) and Norway (Oslo). 

In fact, last year CAF was awarded several contracts in Sweden. On the one hand, it secured the contract to manufacture 20 EMUs (Electric Multipe Units) and 8 BMUs (Biodiesel-Electric Bimodal Units) for AB Transitio, and in addition, through its subsidiary EuroMaint, it secured two service contracts with the operator SJ AB, which include 12-year maintenance of the train fleet operating on the Krösatågen and Kustpilen lines, and the upgrade of 57 cars in the Swedish operator's overnight passenger car fleet.