For the first time in half a century, France will launch the construction of brand-new night train rolling stock in 2026. The collective Oui au train de nuit (Yes To The Night Train) stresses the need for multiple comfort levels, from affordable budget options to business-class cabins.
Tag: CAF
France’s Intercités: a long-awaited renewal for the ‘forgotten’ rail network
For decades, France’s Trains d’Équilibre du Territoire – commercially branded as Intercités – have played second fiddle to the high-speed TGV and regional TER networks. These conventional long-distance services, encompassing both day and night trains, were established in 2011 to consolidate routes previously operated under brands like Corail Téoz, Lunéa, and Interregional.
NMBS / SNCB & CAF for MR30 / AM30 electric multiple units signed
Belgium’s National Railway Company NMBS / SNCB has formally signed the framework agreement for its future MR30 / AM30 electric multiple units with manufacturer Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) from the Basque Country in Spain.
Board of Directors of NMBS / SNCB awards MR30 / AM30 contract to CAF and orders first trains
“Following a European public procurement procedure launched in 2022 for the purchase of new multiple units, the Board of Directors of NMBS / SNCB decided this Friday to award the framework agreement to the manufacturer CAF“, a press release says.
NMBS / SNCB to order 180 CAF Civity trains, including battery-powered sets
The Board of Directors of the National Railway Company of Belgium, the NMBS / SNCB, is set to award the contract for the new MR30 / AM30 trains to manufacturer Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) from the Basque Country in Spain, Thibault Lapers‘ mobilithib blog has learned from a source.
NS buys 36 new Stadler Flirt Flex trains for local, intercity, and international services
The Nederlandse Spoorwegen or NS, the Netherlands‘ state railway, ordered 36 new Stadler Flirt Flex, Sprinter in NS terminology, trains for over €400 million. Unlike the current Sprinter trains, the ultramodern trains, named Flirt Flex, will once again have the classic yellow-blue NS livery. The first trains are expected to enter Dutch service in 2030.
BELGIUM | Trams in Liège
April 2025. For the first time since 1968, trams ride on the streets of Liège (Luik, Lüttich). Belgium has now five cities with trams: Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent, Charleroi and now Liège. And, of course there’s the Coast Tram or Kusttram in West Flanders, with 67 km the longest tram line in the world. Danny and…
BELGIUM | Council of State backs NMBS / SNCB’s choice of Spanish CAF for multi-billion train order
The Council of State has dismissed an appeal by Siemens and rejected a request from NGOs, clearing the way for Belgian state railway NMBS / SNCB to move forward with its plans to order hundreds of new trainsets from Spanish manufacturer CAF. A ruling on a parallel case brought by French rival Alstom is still…
NMBS / SNCB’s AM30 / MR30 order faces political and legal headwinds as costs of delay mount
The Belgian national rail operator NMBS / SNCB is under mounting pressure over its planned order of new trains from Spanish manufacturer Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF), as political debate, legal challenges and international criticism threaten to delay the procurement.
BELGIUM | NMBS / SNCB confirms CAF as preferred bidder for AM30
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.