First new train for Limburg rolls into Stadler workshop

Today, the first train for the Limburg public transport concession rolled into the Stadler workshop in Blerick. This spectacular occasion marked a milestone in the implementation Arriva and Stadler have shown to around 150 guests. They were the first to be given the opportunity of making acquaintance with the new trains which are due to come into service on 11 December this year in the province of Limburg. In addition to the presentation of the trains, the new maintenance contract was signed. Over the next 15 years, Stadler will be responsible for the maintenance, servicing and cleaning of the new trains in their workshop in Blerick.

Chair of the Arriva Netherlands board, Anne Hettinga said: “I'm extremely proud. I'd like to pay a huge compliment to those responsible for ensuring that these brand new trains will be running on the tracks in Limburg from 11 December onwards. We're really looking forward to that! This roll-in shows the contracting authority and customers alike that we are on schedule with the implementation. Likewise, they can see for themselves at first hand that the trains meet all the statutory requirements and additional features offered.”

More legroom and wide doors

During the roll-in, guests were given a guided tour of Stadler's workshop and were able to inspect the new train. The new fleet consists of 36 trains of the FLIRT type. 15 units consisting of 2 rail cars with 4 doors, 13 units consisting of 3 rail cars with 5 doors (from December 2017) and another 8 units consisting of 3 rail cars with 3 doors (from 2020). Some features of the train include: additional legroom, wide doors, a closed toilet system, leather upholstery in First Class compartments and wall sockets.

Maintenance contract

The maintenance contract was signed during the roll-in as well. Hein van der Schoot from Stadler Nederland,and Anne Hettinga, from Arriva Nederland signed an agreement with a term of 15 years. In the Blerick workshops the whole fleet of Arriva will be maintained by the experienced team of Stadler. Hein Van der Schoot: "We are very pleased that we can take over the maintenance of our new trains for Arriva and like this the service for the entire fleet of the Limburg concession. The teams of Arriva and Stadler have already proven that they work optimally together and provide great performance. It will be a carefully balanced interaction between Arriva's timetable and Stadler Services' planning We guarantee reliability and availability by high quality service.“

About Arriva Nederland

From 11 December 2016 onwards, for a period of 15 years, Arriva Nederland will operate bus and rail transport in the Province of Limburg. Arriva Nederland is part of the Arriva Group of which Deutsche Bahn is the owner. Arriva is a leading transport services operator, active in 14 European countries. Arriva is active in the provinces of Drenthe, Flevoland, Friesland, Gelderland, Groningen, North Brabant and South Holland, as well as in Limburg and South-east Friesland and the Wadden islands, with a workforce of more than 6,000 employees. In addition to train and bus services, Arriva operates the Waterbus in South Holland in partnership with Koninklijke Doeksen and is active in the Dutch coach sector operating under the name Arriva Touring.

About Stadler

Stadler has been building trains for 75 years. The system provider of rail vehicle construction solutions is headquartered in Bussnang in Eastern Switzerland, and has a workforce of around 7000 based in various locations across Switzerland, Germany, Spain, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Italy, Austria, the Netherlands, Belarus, Algeria, Australia and the United States. Stadler provides a comprehensive range of products in the commuter rail and railway segments: trams, tram trains, underground trains, regional and commuter rail trains, intercity trains and high-speed trains. In addition, Stadler manufactures main-line dualmode locomotives, shunting locomotives and passenger carriages, including the most powerful dieselelectric locomotive in Europe. Stadler remains the world’s leading manufacturer in the rack-and-pinion rail vehicle industry. Additionally, Stadler Service maintains 16 vehicle fleets made up of over 300 vehicles that cover a combined annual distance of 72 million kilometres.