The 160 km/h locomotives will operate in push-pull mode with double-deck coaches supplied by Bombardier. A fleet of 37 of these vehicles has already been delivered to KM. All of the locomotives will be delivered in the middle of next year, and Bombardier will be responsible for maintaining the fleet until at least 2015. The KM contract is notable in that the lowest bid was submitted by CSR Zhouzhou, China, which is actively seeking its breakthrough order in the European locomotive market. The winner was selected on a points system based on price (70%), delivery schedule (25%) and warranty length (5%). Siemens also submitted a bid.
