MATTERHORN Gotthard Railway (MGB) has signed a contract with Stadler for the supply of another 25 Orion three-car rack EMUs.

The contract is worth SFr 266m ($US 295m), the largest ever signed by MGB, and production of the metre-gauge trains is due to start at the beginning of 2025. Delivery of the first train is planned in the autumn of the same year to enter service in the first quarter of 2026. A further vehicle will be delivered every six weeks until spring 2029.

MGB announced its plan to purchase 37 EMUs from Stadler in February 2020, signing a contract worth SFr 148.5m for an initial 12 sets in March of that year. The first of these trains entered service this summer and delivery of the initial batch is set to be completed by the end of the year.

The latest contract was signed on November 7 by Stadler’s deputy group CEO, Dr Ansgar Brockmeyer and the company’s deputy head of marketing and sales, Mr Christian König, along with MGB CEO, Mr Fernando Lehner, and Mr Ivan Pfammatter, MGB’s head of rolling stock and traction.

Brockmeyer describes the order “as the single largest for rack trains that we have ever received.”

The 11kV 16.7Hz EMUs feature lightweight materials, energy-efficient drive components, oil-free transformers, and a sleep mode to reduce energy consumption. The trains can operate in multiples of two or three sets, offering up to 438 seats, including 72 in first class. They can be deployed across the 1000mm-gauge MGB network, which runs for 144km from Zermatt and Distentis. The line features a maximum gradient of 181‰ between Göschenen and Andermatt.

The name Orion stands for optimal regional train in local transport, and is consistent with the decision to label MGB’s fleet with astronomical terms. BVZ, parent company of MGB, is aiming for its fleet to consist entirely of multiple units by 2030 and previously purchased five Komet EMUs for use on MGB from Stadler between 2007 and 2014. The Polaris fleet of five two-car EMUs entered service on MGB’s sister railway, the Gornergrat mountain railway, in winter 2022-23.

“The consistent focus on a uniform fleet will have a positive impact on the operational options and bring more flexibility in planning,” Lehner says. “Passengers will especially benefit: The Orion impresses with more comfort, additional storage space, Wi-Fi and accessibility.”

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