FERROVIENORD and Hitachi Rail sign contract for 50 high capacity trains

The Lombardy Region Plan will deliver 131 “Caravaggio” trains in total

Milan – FERROVIENORD and Hitachi Rail STS SpA signed the third supply contract for 50 high capacity “Caravaggio” regional trains for the amount of 451,850,000 euros, within the 2018 Framework Agreement.

40 trains are in long configuration (5 cars) and 10 in short configuration (4 cars). With previous contracts other 55 high capacity trains have been ordered: 30 in short configuration (21 already delivered and in revenue service) and 20 in long configuration (start of deliveries December 2021) in addition to 5 “Rock” trains (these are in revenue service).

LOMBARDY REGION PLAN – The signing of this third supply contract is part of the Lombardy Region Plan for fleet renewal that sees a total of 222 new trains for an overall investment of 1.958 billion euros: 1.607 billion euros of the plan were approved in 2017 and updated in 2019 (176 trains, out of which 105 high capacity) and integrated with the deliberation dated 17^th March 2021 for further 351 million euro, for the purchase of further 46 trains; 26 high capacity “Caravaggio” trains (10 in long configuration for Malpensa airport shuttle service and 16 in short configuration for Bergamo airport shuttle service) as well as 20 “Donizetti” medium capacity trains (supply contract signed in March 2021).

DELIVERIES – Trains delivery of this third supply contract is scheduled from October 2022 to October 2024. They will be built in Hitachi Rail’s factories in Reggio Calabria and Naples.

“The regional investments – say the President of Lombardy Region, Attilio Fontana, and the city council member for Infrastructure, Transport & Sustainable Mobility, Claudia Maria Terzi, - are gradually taking place: 36 new trains purchased by Lombardy Region are already in operation on the Lombardy rail network. When the overall delivery plan is completed, the trains in service will be - on average - 12-year old, the lowest level ever reached in Lombardy. This investment allows to replace the oldest vehicles of the fleet inherited from the State. No other Region has invested so much like we did from this perspective. The aim is to make rail transport more efficient. Offering brand new, state-of-the-art trains means improving passengers travel experience and all the efforts made by the Region are going in this direction.”

“The thorough Trenord fleet renewal plan, launched in 2017 thanks to the financing and guidelines of Lombardy Region, is proceeding, – says FNM President, Andrea Gibelli. The new trains are progressively entering into revenue service with tangible benefits in terms of service quality and comfort, and a sensible contribution to sustainability. The new trains assure a significant reduction of energy consumption and are manufactured with almost entirely recyclable materials”.

“We are steadily working to guarantee the correct and efficient delivery of the supplies – underlines the President of FERROVIENORD, Paolo Nozza -. We are proud to contribute to the concrete realization of this great plan promoted by the Region for the improvement of Lombardy rail transport”.

“The introduction of our modern train fleets in Lombardy is a reason of great pride for our business, and we’re delighted with this new order,” – says the Head of Sales & Projects Italy Rolling Stock of Hitachi Rail Andrea Pepi. “With our trains we aim to increase sustainable mobility by providing attractive products that encourage people to switch from private car to public transport in line with our decarbonization strategy”.

MAIN TECHNICAL FEATURES – These are double deck, bi-directional, distributed power, 3 kV electric multiple units. Here below the main data:

TECNOLOGY AND SAFETY – Concerning technology and safety we highlight the presence of: LED lighting, Wi-fi, 220V and USB sockets, passenger information system, energy measuring system, people-counter, side and front cameras, remote controlled diagnostics, intelligent video surveillance with technology “Anomalous Behavior Detection”. The trains will also be equipped with ERTMS/ETCS safety system that, further than assuring the highest safety standards, will allow increase of traffic capacity on the railway lines.

ACCESSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS – Accessibility for people with reduced mobility is facilitated by mobile platforms to compensate the gap between door and platform. Significant environmental benefits are the 30% reduction of electric energy consumption, reduction of noise levels, brake energy regeneration, the use of innovative materials allowing a weight reduction of the vehicle and high level of reusability (96%) and biodegradation (95%). Bicycle racks and socks for e-bike recharging are also provided.

ENDS

About FNM

FNM is the main integrated group in sustainable mobility in Lombardy. It represents the first Operator in Italy that combines the management of railway infrastructures with road mobility and the management of motorway infrastructures with the aim of proposing an innovative model for governing the demand and supply of mobility, based on the optimization of flows and environmental and economic sustainability. It is one of the leading Italian non-State owned investors in the sector. FNM S.p.A. is a joint stock company listed on the stock exchange since 1926. The majority shareholder is the Lombardy Region, holding 57.57% of the shares.

100% controlled by FNM, FERROVIENORD manages 331 km of rail network in Lombardy and 124 stations spread over five lines in the provinces of Milan, Brescia, Como, Monza-Brianza, Novara and Varese. Alongside the activity linked to the operation of rail services, FERROVIENORD performs the ordinary and extraordinary maintenance of the network, its adaptation, the activation of new plants and upgrading works.