The new bidirectional vehicles will be used for scheduled infrastructure maintenance as well as for urgent repair works. Each vehicle is equipped with a loading crane and platform, which can be partly lowered to a height of 1m above the rail. The vehicle allows drivers to stand or sit while operating the machine improving safety.

The vehicles will be fitted with twin-engines which include an energy-saving stop-start function, and will have a maximum operating speed of 100km/h even when fully loaded and weighing 40 tonnes.

Initially five of the vehicles will undergo six months of testing in full operation and experience gained will be transferred to series production, with delivery set to get underway in spring 2017 and conclude in 2021. The contract includes an option for delivery of further vehicles of the same type.