Think Railways

ABB has won orders worth around $90 million from Swiss train manufacturer Stadler Rail to enable sustainable high-speed, suburban and urban transit in Europe and in the United States. The orders were booked in the second quarter of 2015.

ABB’s traction converters with integrated power supplies, traction transformers and battery chargers will go on Stadler’s new international EuroCity trains being made for the Swiss Federal Railways to speed passenger service starting in 2017 between cities including Frankfurt, Germany; Zurich; and Milan.

ABB is also supplying compact traction converters with integrated power supplies for four new diesel-electric railcars for Capital Metro in Austin, Texas. ABB’s compact traction converters and transformers will also power 15 Stadler electric trains slated for Hungarian National Railways’ suburban fleet.

Swiss-made ABB traction equipment fulfills the demands of a diverse range of trains needed around the world for sustainable transportation, whether in suburban and urban environments or to cross the Swiss Alps. Stadler Rail has ordered ABB traction equipment for more than 1,500 regional trains and more than 350 light-rail vehicles since the companies began working together in 2002.

“These continuing orders affirm the strength of our long-standing relationship with Stadler Rail that’s built on deep industry expertise and a mutual passion for innovation,” said Pekka Tiitinen, president of ABB’s Discrete Automation and Motion division. “Our rail business is having a strong year, based on both increased demand for new capacity and refurbishment of aging infrastructure and rolling stock. Expanding into these growing markets is a key growth lever in our Next Level strategy.”

ABB traction technology enables a smooth start, rapid acceleration and efficient energy recuperation during braking. Traction equipment for high-speed trains, a central part of the company’s power and automation portfolio, is a growing market for ABB’s rail business.

The ABB-equipped Stadler trains destined to run between Zurich and Milan, and later between Frankfurt and Milan, will be the world’s first single-decker, low-floor electric high-speed trains on a line that runs on both alternating and direct current electrification systems. ABB’s propulsion system, located beneath the floor of the train, takes up less space and adds more comfort for the passengers.

In Austin, ABB’s traction technology is already successfully deployed in Stadler’s existing fleet for Capitol Metro. ABB has also provided equipment for Stadler trains elsewhere in the United States, including for the Denton County Transportation Authority near Dallas as well as for a recent order from California’s Bay Area Rapid Transit.