Train manufacturer Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) from Spain is said to have won a major contract to build hundreds of new AM30 / MR30 electric multiple units (EMU) for Belgian railway company NMBS / SNCB. The CAF Civity Duo then could be a base for the AM30.

The tender, which was valued at 3.4 billion euros, would see French company Alstom, which has a strong presence in Belgium with sites in Bruges and Charleroi, miss out on the deal. 

According to the magazine Trends-Tendances, Alstom was reportedly over 100 million euros cheaper but received a slightly lower overall evaluation score than CAF, Mobilithib and Belga report on authority of the economic magazine. 

While NMBS / SNCB has only confirmed that a “preferred bidder” has been appointed, exclusive negotiations are now expected to take place with CAF, and Alstom may consider filing an appeal against the decision.

NMBS / SNCB aims to renew half of its train fleet by 2032, and this specific contract is part of that effort. 

The AM30 railcars, which have an integrated engine and do not require a separate locomotive, will be used for intercity services as well as suburban and local L and S connections. 

The framework agreement is expected to last 12 years to account for the complexity of the project and the phased delivery schedule. The total fleet is expected to provide up to 170,000 seats.

Cross-border

The new AM30 trains will be designed to operate both within Belgium and across borders to France (with Maubeuge and Lille in mind) the Netherlands (for Roosendaal, Maastricht and who knows Weert), Germany (for Aachen), and Luxembourg. 

They will have a maximum speed of either 160 or 200 km/h, depending on the route. 

Battery packs

NMBS/SNCB has specified three configurations: a four-car version with a mix of single- and double-decker coaches, a three-car version with one double-decker central car, and a fully single-deck three-car variant, the latter being considered for a battery-powered version to replace the diesel-powered AR41 / MW41 railcars. These trains will also feature enhanced automation and the potential for operations without attendants.

Expectations

Passenger comfort and accessibility are key design criteria. The railcars will have wide doors for easier access, smart cameras for security and passenger counting, and a modernised onboard connectivity system with windows designed to allow better mobile signal penetration. 

Toilets will be installed at a rate of one per three-car unit (as is the case with the Siemens Desiro EMUs) and two per four-car unit (as is the case with the old school AM 75 / MR75), with larger tanks to support longer journeys. Additionally, anti-graffiti paint will be used, similar to the M7 multiple units.

Trams

CAF has previously supplied vehicles to other Belgian transport operators, including De Lijn in Flanders and Brussels‘ STIB / MIVB. 

Timeframe

If the agreement with NMBS/SNCB is finalised, this will be the first time CAF trains operate on the Belgian railway network. 

A prototype is expected to leave the factory in the second quarter of 2027, followed by testing and approval in 2028 and 2029. 

If all goes according to plan, the first AM30 railcars will enter service in the second quarter of 2029.

CAF?

Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (Grupo CAF, meaning ‘Construction and Other Railway Services‘) is a Spanish publicly listed company specialising in the manufacture of railway vehicles, equipment, and buses through its subsidiary, Solaris Bus & Coach. Headquartered in Beasain, in the Basque Autonomous Community of Spain, the company produces a range of railway equipment, including light rail vehicles, rapid transit trains, railroad cars, and locomotives. It also develops variable gauge axles that can be adapted to different types of bogies or trucks.

From the early 1990s, CAF took advantage of Spain’s rail investment boom, expanding its technical expertise and evolving into a global manufacturer capable of producing nearly any type of railway vehicle. 

The company has supplied rolling stock to major urban transit operators across Europe, the United States, South America, East Asia, India, Australia, and North Africa.

CAF Civity

Is the NMBS / SNCB interested in the CAF Civity? Available as diesel, electric, and battery-electric multiple units, the CAF Civity was first introduced in 2010, with the first order placed in 2012.

As of 2023, a total of 251 Civity units have been built, with an additional 261 units on order. The United Kingdom is the largest customer for the platform, with 216 units ordered.

The Civity is a modular platform available in four variants: diesel, diesel-electric, electric, and bi/dual mode. Most variants, with the exception of the Civity UK and New South Wales in Australia models, feature shared bogies and a low-floor design.

Diesel in the UK

The diesel variant has been ordered exclusively by operators in the United Kingdom, including Northern, West Midlands Trains, and Transport for Wales. 

These units are produced in two, three, or four-car formations and are fitted with MTU powerplants, each producing 523 horsepower (390 kW) per engine, with a maximum speed of 100 mph (160 km/h).

The electric variant can operate on 1500 V or 3000 V DC power supplies via a pick-up shoe or on 15 kV or 25 kV AC supplies using a pantograph. Orders have been placed for three, four, or five-car formations, with speeds ranging between 75–125 mph (120–200 km/h).

Oz

In Australia, Transport for NSW signed a contract in February 2019 with Momentum Trains PPP for 117 Civity bi-mode carriages. These will replace existing XPT, Xplorer, and Endeavour trains. Initially planned to enter service earlier, these units are now expected to be operational in 2025.

Germany

In Germany, the Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr (VRR) and Nahverkehr Westfalen-Lippe (NWL) selected CAF in June 2021 to build and maintain 63 battery-electric multiple units for the Niederrhein-Münsterland regional train network. 

Operations for these trains are scheduled to begin between December 2025 and 2028. An additional 10 long units were ordered in 2022 for RB68 and RB76 services.

Italy

Italy‘s Friuli-Venezia Giulia region ordered eight five-car ETR 563 units in 2010, followed by four ETR 564 units. Approval delays postponed their introduction. Five four-car ETR 452 trains were built for Ferrotramviaria and have been in service since 2014.

Mexico

Mexico‘s El Insurgente commuter rail service between Mexico City and Toluca operates electric multiple units combining the Civity and earlier Civia designs.

Montenegro

Montenegro received three Class 6111 three-car EMUs for Željeznički prevoz Crne Gore (ŽPCG), serving the Podgorica-Nikšić railway. The first unit entered service on 13 July 2013.

Netherlands

In the Netherlands, Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) placed a €510 million order for 118 Civity sets in 2014, known as Sprinter New Generation (SNG). An additional 88 sets were ordered in December 2018, with deliveries continuing through 2023. 

In 2024, Qbuzz ordered 10 three-car Civity sets, with entry into service expected by the end of 2027. 

CAF also won the Dubbeldekker Nieuwe Generatie tender for NS in 2022 with the Civity Duo, marking the first double-decker model of the Civity platform.

Spain

Spain’s Renfe Viajeros ordered 28 EMUs for regional services in 2022, later extended to 60 units in 2023. These trains have a top speed of 200 km/h (125 mph) and are available in three- and five-car versions.

Sweden

In Sweden, public transport agencies in Jönköpings län, Kronobergs län, and Kalmar län ordered 20 electric units (EMU) and 8 bi-mode units (BMU), with an option for additional units. 

These Civity Nordic trains, designed for extreme temperatures, are scheduled for delivery between 2024 and 2027. 

Additionally, 25 SJ regional trains, set to enter service in 2027, will operate on routes such as Stockholm-Gothenburg and Linköping-Gävle. These units are designed for cold weather conditions and can reach speeds of 200 km/h.

UK

In the United Kingdom, CAF has supplied multiple operators. Arriva Rail North placed an order for 101 units in January 2016, including 58 Class 195 diesel multiple units and 43 Class 331 electric multiple units. These units entered service gradually throughout 2019.

CAF also built 12 Class 397 five-car electric multiple units for TransPennine Express, operating at speeds of up to 125 mph (200 km/h). 

West Midlands Trains ordered 26 Class 196 diesel multiple units in two- and four-car formations. Transport for Wales placed an order in June 2018 for 51 two-car and 26 three-car diesel multiple units, designated as Class 197. 

In November 2023, London North Eastern Railway ordered 10 ten-car tri-mode Civity units, classified as Class 897.

Philippines

In the Philippines, the Philippine National Railways ordered seven Civity trains from the Mitsubishi-CAF joint venture in 2023. 

These eight-car trains will operate on the North–South Commuter Railway’s Airport Express service at speeds of up to 160 km/h (100 mph). They are based on the Mexican El Insurgente design but incorporate adaptations such as Shibata couplers and platform screen door compatibility.

UPDATE 5 MARCH | NMBS / SNCB position on the designation of preferred bidder CAF

NMBS / SNCF has taken note of various press articles and assertions/statements over the past 24 hours regarding the designation of a preferred bidder for the AM 30 / MR30 public contract (trains, railcars), on which the Board of Directors unanimously decided to designate CAF as the preferred bidder”, the Belgian Railways say in a press release. NMBS / SNCB wishes to communicate its position on this matter and to emphasize a number of factual legal elements.

1: The (im)possibility of providing award criteria regarding local production

“NMBS / SNCB strictly complies with the rules on public procurement. In this context, NMBS /SNCB cannot grant an advantage to local production within a European context, in any form whatsoever, in order to award a better score to a tenderer who, for example, would guarantee a certain local production or development of certain knowledge or employment at the local/Belgian level. European law does not allow this.”

“The European Court of Justice has long since confirmed this principle in its established case law. Such award criteria regarding the location of production discriminate against participants from other Member States and, moreover, the location of production is not a relevant criterion for the quality of the tender.”

“An award criterion that would assess the degree of reinvestment in the local economy is unacceptable for the same reasons. It goes without saying that NMBS / SNCB must determine award criteria that are in accordance with European law, and award criteria that attempt to secretly favour a local tenderer are prohibited.”

“The prohibition of discrimination and the obligation to determine award criteria that are related to the subject of the contract are legal rules that apply to all contracting authorities in the European Union. It is incorrect to state that contracting authorities from other European countries can better valorise their local production.”

2: Determining the preferred bidder

NMBS / SNCB determined in advance and in full transparency in its specifications in the context of the AM30 / MR30 government contract (trains, motor vehicles) that the choice would be made on the basis of the best price-quality ratio.

” The tenders were therefore not assessed solely on the basis of the price criterion. It is the announced combined application of the price criterion and the qualitative award criteria that led to the current result. From that perspective, it is therefore logical that the preferred bidder that is designated is not necessarily the cheapest tenderer; the difference in points obtained by a more qualitative tender can after all bridge the difference in points obtained by a cheaper tender. That is what happened here.”

“Based on the three tenders submitted, it has become apparent that the difference in points between the tenders is small. This does not have to be problematic in itself. On the contrary, it shows that NMBS / SNCB has been able to fully allow competition to play out up to this stage of the procedure. The procedure set up by NMBS / SNCB has resulted in three tenderers submitting offers that are all regular in terms of quality and finance.”

“The difference in points, however small it may seem, does however make a big difference for NMBS / SNCB. A more qualitative offer should, for example, lead to fewer problems during the execution of the contract. In this respect, the tenderers were informed of the advantages and disadvantages of their respective offers.”

UPDATE 17 APRIL | Council of State halts procedure and negociations

On 17 April 2025, the Council of State, which is the highest administrative court in Belgium, has suspended the decision by the NMBS / SNCB to award a €3.4 billion contract to the Spanish manufacturer CAF. The suspension follows a legal challenge filed by Alstom, a major train manufacturer that operates a production plant in Bruges.

CAF had narrowly secured the European tender for the production of the MR30 trains, although Alstom had reportedly submitted a proposal of comparable technical quality at a lower cost. The awarding of the contract provoked discontent in both political and industrial circles, particularly due to concerns over potential job losses in Bruges.

In its ruling, the Council of State criticised NMBS / SNCB for not clearly defining the method used to evaluate the technical quality of the bids. The court stated that this omission breached the principle of transparency, which public enterprises are required to uphold in procurement procedures.

Alstom also claimed that the socioeconomic consequences of the decision—especially with regard to local employment—had not been adequately considered, a concern echoed by several Belgian politicians.

As a result of the suspension, the procurement process is now on hold while the Council of State examines whether to annul the decision entirely, a process that could take up to a year. In the meantime, the future of one of Belgium’s largest public transport investments remains uncertain.

UPDATE 27 JUNE 2025 | No decision yet

While there were media reports stating a decision would be made, this hasn’t happened. A press release says: “During its meeting of 27 June, the Board of Directors of NMBS / SNCB took note of the documents submitted and the management’s responses to the Council of State’s comments regarding the February 2025 decision to designate CAF as the preferred bidder for the AM30 or MR30 purchase contract.”

“At the same time, it took note of the external legal advice and the independent external technical analysis, which were obtained at the suggestion of the Board of Directors and which validate the management’s assessment. Finally, the Board of Directors took note of the additional motivational elements of the file on which it will take a decision at its next meeting.”

UPDATE 9 JULY 2025 | Decision on 23 July 2025

NMBS / SNCB is expected to decide whether to finalise a multi-billion-euro contract with Spanish manufacturer CAF for the delivery of several hundred new train sets on 23 July. The announcement was made by Mobility Minister Jean-Luc Crucke (Les Engagés) during a session of the Parliamentary Committee on Mobility, State-Owned Enterprises and Federal Institutions on Wednesday 9 July.

The procurement process has been the subject of significant controversy. Based on technical and financial evaluations, SNCB/NMBS opted to enter into exclusive negotiations with CAF, thereby excluding rival bids from Siemens and Alstom.

Trade unions, particularly those representing Alstom employees, have voiced strong concerns, warning that the decision could jeopardise the future of Alstom’s Bruges plant, which provides employment to several hundred people. Politicians from across the political spectrum have criticised the move, questioning why the potential impact on local employment was not given greater weight.

Crucke emphasised that NMBS / SNCB operates independently in such matters. He stated that the company had reviewed its assessment process following concerns raised by the Council of State regarding transparency. However, he confirmed that the original ranking of the candidates had been upheld. According to Crucke, the decision by NMBS / SNCB management was validated by an independent legal review and a technical audit.

The minister also underlined that European Union public procurement regulations prohibit favouring domestic manufacturers. He stressed the importance of making a timely decision on fleet renewal, noting the obligations laid out in Belgium’s public service contract with NMBS / SNCB. These include replacing half of the current train fleet, increasing service capacity by 10 per cent, and boosting passenger numbers by 30 per cent by the year 2032.

Crucke warned that any delay in the contract would make these objectives unattainable. Restarting the procurement process, he said, would cause delays of several months, and likely years, with serious consequences for service quality. Ageing trains would remain in use longer, leading to reduced punctuality, more frequent breakdowns and cancellations, and a shortfall of 14,000 seats.

NMBS / SNCB has estimated that a two-year delay in the procurement would result in additional maintenance costs of between €170 million and €200 million, necessary to maintain the safety, reliability, and availability of the existing fleet.