Stadler drops appeal over SBB’s Siemens train contract

The Stadler SBB contract appeal ended on April 7, 2026. Stadler withdrew its challenge to SBB’s award for new double-decker trains to Siemens Mobility.

Stadler said the move followed its review of documents provided by the Federal Administrative Court. The company said so in a Stadler press release. It described the material as heavily redacted. It also said the file was only partly useful. It did not fully clarify the SBB train contract award. Even so, Stadler said the file showed that SBB clearly exercised its discretion in the evaluation. It said that discretion favored the Siemens Mobility double-decker trains bid.

Why the Stadler SBB contract appeal was withdrawn?

According to Stadler, the appeal sought an independent assessment by the court. The company said the court was an impartial authority. The proceedings gave it some access to the case file. Still, it did not get the level of transparency it had expected. Many documents, Stadler said, remained fully redacted. Sections it considered relevant to the merits of the case were not accessible. The same applied to sections on the grounds for the award.

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Against that backdrop, Stadler reviewed the available information. It concluded that the material did not justify continuing the legal challenge. It therefore formally withdrew the appeal on April 7, 2026.

Stadler maintains criticism of the SBB train contract award

Despite ending the proceedings, Stadler said it still has reservations about SBB’s decision. The decision was part of the Swiss railway tender. The company argued that the Swiss operator had selected a “new and untested” train model. Its own offer, it said, was based on a double-decker train already used in daily service.

Stadler added that 153 KISS double-decker trains are already operating in Switzerland. It said they are among the most reliable vehicles in the SBB fleet. Peter Spuhler, Chairman of the Board of Directors, said the company still regrets the decision. He said it must accept that decision on the basis of the information available. He added that the group remains focused on continuing its long-standing cooperation with SBB.

Siemens Mobility double-decker trains move to final award stage

Meanwhile, SBB said Stadler’s withdrawal means the award to Siemens Mobility is now legally final. The operator said it will sign the contract. It also said it will continue with the project according to the original plan.

The Swiss railway company said Siemens submitted the most advantageous bid in the public tender. It said the assessment favored Siemens on both economic and qualitative grounds. According to SBB, the proposed trains performed strongly on investment costs and operating costs. It also cited energy consumption, route costs, and maintenance. Over a 25-year lifespan, the operator said, the savings are expected to amount to hundreds of millions.

The contract awarded to Siemens Mobility Switzerland covers the delivery of 116 double-decker trains, with an option for another 84. It sits under a framework agreement that could exceed 200 multiple units. SBB said the new trains will have about 540 seats. In addition, they will have eight spacious multifunctional areas and more standing room.

According to the operator, 95 trains are planned for the Zurich S-Bahn network. Another 21 will run in western Switzerland. Railway Supply also outlined that split when the order was announced. Passengers are expected to start using them in 2031.

Stadler announced in November 2025 that it was appealing the contract award. At that stage, the company said the evaluation scores were not understandable from the documents provided. The same applied to the final decision.

It also argued that its KISS-based offer had been undervalued against a solution that “exists only on paper.” Stadler said it could not understand how the winning bid had received better results in areas such as operating costs, quality, maintenance, sustainability, and services.

At the same time, the company said it would have built the trains entirely in Switzerland. It said local suppliers would have made significant contributions.

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