On 23 July 2025, Belgium‘s state-owned railway company NMBS / SNCB has reaffirmed Spanish train manufacturer Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) as the “preferred bidder” for its major train order, despite ongoing criticism from trade unions and politicians over the impact on local employment. 

The multibillion-euro contract (3.4 billion euros), which includes an initial order equivalent to 54,000 seats, is part of NMBS / SNCB’s plan to modernise half of its rolling stock by 2032. The decision was confirmed by the board of directors following a detailed re-evaluation, which maintained the original ranking of CAF, Siemens and Alstom after legal and technical scrutiny.

A history

The order stems from the public service agreement signed between NMBS / SNCB and the Belgian Federal Government in December 2022. 

This agreement sets ambitious targets for passenger growth, energy efficiency and comfort. The new trains, some of which will be battery-powered to replace the ageing diesel fleet, will feature improved accessibility for persons with reduced mobility, quiet zones, real-time passenger information, bicycle spaces and full digital connectivity.

Council of State challenge and revised decision

In February 2025, the Belgian Council of State temporarily suspended NMBS / SNCB’s initial decision to appoint CAF as the top-ranked bidder. In response, NMBS / SNCB issued a revised justification, but the original evaluation and ranking were confirmed by an external legal opinion and a technical audit.

Criticism over local employment

The decision has sparked controversy in Belgium, particularly in Bruges, where Alstom operates a large factory. Trade unions warn that the choice for CAF could be the death blow for Alstom’s Bruges site, which employs hundreds of workers.

The Christian union ACV-CSC and the socialist union ABVV-FGTB argue that Belgian public funds should support local employment, especially after recent industrial setbacks in the region, including closures at Balta and Soliver.

Minister Crucke calls for Belgian involvement

Federal Minister of Mobility Jean-Luc Crucke (Les Engagés) has taken note of the decision but emphasises that NMBS / SNCB operates autonomously and is bound by European public procurement rules, which prohibit giving preference to domestic production. 

He has urged that the production of such a significant order should not be carried out entirely abroad and expects the contract to benefit the Belgian economy through local subcontracting, innovation and job creation. NMBS / SNCB has asked CAF to provide concrete plans for working with local suppliers.

Political backlash

Several politicians, including Bruges MPs Franky Demon (CD&V) and Annick Lambrecht (Vooruit), have criticised the decision, calling it incomprehensible that public money is spent without prioritising local jobs during an economic downturn.

PVDA leader Sofie Merckx has described the choice as a fatal blow to local employment and accused both the government and mainstream parties of negligence. 

Demon and Lambrecht have also argued that France and Germany consider local socio-economic effects more closely in public procurement than Belgium currently does.

CAF’s links with Israel questioned

The controversy is further complicated by CAF’s involvement in the Jerusalem Light Rail tram, has added a contractual requirement for CAF to respect international law and human rights. 

The Groen party has welcomed this move but demands guarantees that CAF will withdraw from any operations in occupied territories before the order is finalised.

Order books

RailTech.com offers another angle. The NMBS / SNCB has repeatedly emphasised that its decision was based on the principle of best value for money, rather than the lowest price alone. According to NMBS / SNCB, the scoring difference between the three leading bids was marginal, with CAF achieving a slight advantage due to qualitative factors such as technical reliability and ease of operation.

Industry analysts have noted that CAF’s comparatively smaller size and customer-focused approach may have worked in its favour. While Alstom has a backlog of €95 billion, CAF’s order book stands at €14.5 billion, which could make the Spanish company more flexible and responsive during the execution of the contract.

However, the exclusion of a major domestic manufacturer like Alstom remains politically sensitive. Final contract negotiations are ongoing, and if the Council of State were to annul the re-confirmation of the award — a rare but not impossible scenario — NMBS / SNCB might be required to reassess its decision. For now, the company remains committed to CAF, which continues to lead in securing what could be one of Belgium’s most contentious rolling stock orders in decades.

The NMBS / SNCB press release: 

“The 2023-2032 Public Service Contract, signed with the Belgian government in December 2022, stipulates that 50% of the SNCB train fleet will be renewed by the end of that period, partly to accommodate the expected growth in passenger numbers, increase customer comfort, and replace outdated, defect-prone rolling stock with more flexible and energy-efficient rolling stock. In this context, the timely delivery of new railcars is crucial.” 

“In December 2022, the Board of Directors approved the selection and award criteria and launched a European tender for a framework contract for the supply of new trainsets, including 54,000 seats in an initial order.” 

“The trainsets will offer all necessary passenger comfort, with autonomous accessibility for people with reduced mobility, quiet zones, information screens, connectivity, and sufficient bicycle parking. The order also includes battery-powered trains that will eventually replace the current diesel trains.” 

“Following the Council of State’s suspension of its 28 February decision to designate CAF as the preferred bidder, the Board of Directors decided on 23 July 2025, to reconfirm CAF as the preferred bidder, based on reasoning that takes into account the Council of State’s judgment.” 

“The Board of Directors noted that the tenders submitted by the three bidders each mentioned recourse to local suppliers. The Board appreciates this and invites the preferred bidder to pursue this option. In the context of further discussions with the preferred bidder with a view to a final award decision, the Board of Directors has instructed management to request confirmation from CAF that its activities respect international law and human rights.”

What does this mean?

This means the Belgian Railways and CAF will continue to negociate and concretise an order. But a final order contract has not be signed yet. 

A full restart of the tender would have taken too much time, which there isn’t.

AM30 / MR30

The new train sets are to be called AM30 (automotrice) in French and MR30 (motorrijtuig) in Dutch. So in theory we should see them in 2030. Which is very ambitious in the best of circumstances. 

Siemens Desiro are dubbed AM08 / MR08, as they were ordered in 2008. But the Desiro debuted during Aalst Carnaval in 2012. Four years later.

If CAF indeed gets the final nod, the AM30 / M30 will problably be a CAF Civity Duo the Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) recently ordered.

UPDATE 18.08.2025 | Alstom returns to Council of State

Alstom has launched a fresh legal challenge against the NMBS / SNCB’s decision to award a multi-billion-euro train contract to Spanish manufacturer CAF. The case will once again be examined by the Council of State, which earlier this year suspended the award on the grounds that the tendering process lacked transparency.

The French train maker, which runs a factory in Bruges, confirmed on Monday that it was continuing proceedings. “We are exercising our legal rights before the Council of State,” spokesperson Caroline Courtin told press agency Belga, without giving further details.

In February, NMBS / SNCB had initially named CAF as its preferred bidder for the supply of up to 600 new train units. That choice was annulled by the Council of State, forcing a reassessment. At the end of July, the operator again selected CAF, stating that recalculations confirmed the Spanish company remained the strongest candidate, ahead of Alstom and German rival Siemens.

The contract is central to Belgium’s railway modernisation programme, which aims to replace ageing rolling stock and provide at least 54,000 additional seats by 2032. Trade unions, however, fear that the loss of the order could jeopardise the future of Alstom’s Bruges facility. On Monday, some employees briefly stopped work to demand clarity from management, resuming only after reassurances were given.

Union leader Pascal Van Hove of ABVV-FGTB said workers were now awaiting the Council of State’s ruling. A hearing has been scheduled for 29 August, with a decision expected in the weeks thereafter.