Stadler has inaugurated a new customer reception center in Hennigsdorf, near Berlin, as part of a future comprehensive train commissioning center. The facility will enable vehicles to be tested at the voltage used in the country where they are to operate and will create 128 jobs.
The Swiss rolling stock manufacturer has officially opened Hall 1 of the new center in Hennigsdorf, in the state of Brandenburg. The project represents the second of five phases through which Stadler is transforming the site into a full-scale commissioning center by 2027.
Trains produced at the nearby Stadler factory in Berlin-Pankow will be prepared for service in Hennigsdorf. Activities include the commissioning of on-board systems, hardware and software testing, static and dynamic checks, as well as final acceptance before delivery to customers.
EUR 40 million investment
Stadler has been present in the Berlin-Brandenburg metropolitan region for over 20 years. With the new center in Hennigsdorf, the company is consolidating activities that were previously carried out at the commissioning site in Velten.
In 2023, the company purchased the approximately 46,000-square-meter site in Hennigsdorf, a town with over a century of tradition in rail vehicle manufacturing. The total investment amounts to approximately 40 million euros.
The new Hall 1 is dedicated to the final acceptance of trains by customers. The building has an area of 3,360 square meters, a length of approximately 183 meters, and three interior tracks, two of which are equipped with continuous inspection channels and side channels.
Tests under the operating country’s voltage
The central element of the new facility is the multi-voltage power supply system. This allows Stadler trains to be tested under conditions similar to those in the country where they will be operated.
The system is relevant given the diversity of railway power grids in Europe. Germany, Austria, and Switzerland primarily use 15 kV at 16.7 Hz, while other countries, such as France or Spain, use 25 kV at 50 Hz on certain networks. In urban transport, there are also differences between the systems used by subways, trams, and other electric vehicles.
With this facility, trains can be started up and tested in the hall under the actual voltage of the overhead contact line before the first outdoor tests. Stadler notes that this is the first overhead contact line installed in one of the company’s halls in Germany.
Roof access and comprehensive inspections
The hall is also equipped with fixed workstations at the level of the vehicles’ roofs. These allow technical staff and customers to directly inspect equipment such as pantographs, air conditioning systems, and certain braking components without the use of mobile platforms.
According to the company, the solution speeds up the acceptance process and increases work safety. At the same time, inspection channels allow for inspection of the trains from below and from the side, so that the vehicles can be thoroughly checked before delivery.
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Three more phases by 2027
The opening of Hall 1 marks the second phase of the project. The first phase was the planning stage, which began after the land was acquired in 2023.
Starting in 2026, Stadler will begin the modernization and expansion of Hall 3, which will feature fixed workstations on the roof, a new crane system, and central inspection channels on all lines. The building expansion will also include 14 office workstations.
Starting in 2027, the company will modernize Hall 2 for vehicle commissioning and final assembly. Also starting in 2027, construction is planned for an outdoor test track 744 meters long, equipped with an overhead contact line.
Once all phases are complete, the site will feature 1,437 meters of indoor track and 744 meters of outdoor test track.
“One of our most important sites in Europe”
“With Hennigsdorf, we are building one of our most important sites in Europe, right where our trains are manufactured. Shorter distances, faster deliveries, more capacity for our customers,” said Josef Köcher, CEO of Stadler Deutschland GmbH.
For his part, Jürgen Graba, Director of Commissioning and Warranty at Stadler Deutschland GmbH, highlighted the role of the multi-voltage facility.
“In this hall, we can test every Stadler train at the exact voltage of the country where it will later operate. This way, we provide the 128 colleagues who will work here with the best infrastructure for this activity. We are particularly pleased to create sustainable jobs in this region and to contribute together to the transformation of transportation in Europe,” said Jürgen Graba.
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