Stadler has announced that it is withdrawing its appeal against the decision by the Swiss railway company SBB to award the contract for new double-decker trains to Siemens Mobility.
The Swiss company says it made this decision after reviewing the documents provided by the Federal Administrative Court, documents it describes, however, as heavily redacted and only partially useful for clarifying the award decision.
According to Stadler, these documents nevertheless show that SBB clearly exercised its discretion in the evaluation in favor of the Siemens bid.
Stadler: Transparency Remained Limited
The company says that, by filing the appeal, it sought an independent review by the court as an impartial body.
Although the proceedings granted it some access to the case file, Stadler states that it did not achieve the level of transparency it had hoped for, as numerous documents remained fully redacted, and passages considered relevant to the merits of the case and the grounds for the award were not accessible.
Under these circumstances, the manufacturer concluded that the available information did not provide sufficient grounds to continue the litigation, which is why it officially withdrew its appeal on April 7, 2026.
Stadler maintains its criticisms
Even though it is withdrawing from the proceedings, Stadler maintains its reservations regarding the choice made by SBB.
The company argues that the Swiss operator opted for a “new and untested” train model, while its bid was based on a double-decker train already in daily operation.
Stadler points out that 153 KISS double-decker trains are already in service in Switzerland and that they are among the most reliable vehicles in the SBB fleet.
The company’s Chairman of the Board of Directors, Peter Spuhler, stated that Stadler continues to regret the decision but must accept it based on the available information, adding that the group is focused on continuing its long-standing cooperation with SBB.
SBB: Award to Siemens Now Final
For its part, SBB announced that, following Stadler’s withdrawal of its appeal, the award of the contract to Siemens Mobility has become legally final.
The Swiss operator says it will now sign the contract and proceed with the project according to the original plan.
According to SBB, Siemens’ bid was evaluated as the most advantageous from both an economic and qualitative standpoint in the public tender. The company claims that the trains proposed by Siemens were compelling in terms of both investment costs and operating costs, including energy consumption, route costs, and maintenance.
SBB states that, over a 25-year lifespan, the resulting savings will amount to hundreds of millions.
116 firm trains and an option for another 84
The contract awarded by SBB to Siemens Mobility Switzerland covers the delivery of 116 double-decker trains, with an option for an additional 84, under a framework agreement that could exceed 200 multiple units.
The new trains will have approximately 540 seats, eight spacious multifunctional areas, and more room for standing passengers.
According to SBB, 95 trains will operate on the Zurich S-Bahn network, and another 21 in western Switzerland. Passengers are expected to be able to use them starting in 2031.
The appeal was filed in November
Stadler announced in November 2025 that it was appealing the contract award, arguing at the time that the scores awarded in the evaluation and the final decision could not be understood based on the documents provided.
The company claimed that its bid, based on the KISS platform, had been undervalued compared to a solution that “exists only on paper” and said it did not understand how the winning bid could have achieved better scores on criteria such as operating costs, quality, maintenance, sustainability, or services.
At the same time, Stadler also pointed out that it would have manufactured the trains entirely in Switzerland, with significant contributions from local suppliers.
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