Siemens was the only bidder to progress to the second stage of the tender, and submitted a bid that was Lev 2m cheaper than the expected value of the contract.

The contract includes technical support and spare parts for three years or 600,000km. The warranty has also been extended from two to three years, and Siemens will train BDZ's maintenance and repair staff.

The first locomotive will be delivered within 10 months of contract signing, instead of the usual 13 months.

Siemens began offering the Smartron platform in August 2019, after receiving the authorisation to place into service.

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