The tender follows the emergency award of a two-year contract to operate these lines to Transdev when Städtebahn Sachsen suddenly declared itself bankrupt. Transdev took over on October 1.
The concession will cover about 1.8 million train-km per year and with options could be expanded to a maximum of 2.3 million train-km annually.
The 10-year contract will start on December 11 2021 and includes the following lines:
RB 33 Dresden-Neustad/Dresden main station - Königsbruck
RB 34 Dresden main station - Kamenz
RB 71 Prina - Sebnitz
RB 72 Heidenau - Altenberg, and
RE 19 Dresden main station - Altenberg.
The winner will be allowed to operate diesel trains which have been manufactured since January 2000 as well as class 642 Siemens Desiro Classic DMUs belonging to rolling stock leasing company Alpha Trains which are already used on the VVO-diesel network. The winner will be obliged to take over existing staff.
Three options
The contract will include the following options:
Option 1: Increasing the frequency of Line RB 34 to half hourly on weekdays
Option 2: Extending Line RB 33 from Dresden Neustadt to the Dresden main station and introducing a half hourly service on the Ottendorf-Okrilla Nord - Dresden section during peak hours, and
Option 3: adopting both option 1 and option 2.
