Stadler signs contract with FART to deliver eight narrow-gauge multiple units

Ferrovie Autolinee regionali Ticinesi SA (FART) and Stadler have signed a contract for the manufacture and delivery of eight new multiple units. The new tailor-made trains are expected to replace the old rolling stock of the reputed Centovalli railway in Ticino from 2023 – just in time for its 100th anniversary.

For Stadler, this will be the third order from Ticino within the past two years: The best-selling FLIRT train is already in use for TILO cross-border regional transport, while the first TRAMLINK trains will be operated by Ferrovie Luganesi SA (FLP) in Lugano from summer 2021.

The new, modern and more efficient fleet will allow FART to meet the needs of public transport, as well as those of the region’s tourism industry, which is growing in the long term. The multiple units also fully comply with the Law on Equal Rights for Persons with Disabilities.

The order volume totals around 94 million Swiss francs, and the follow-up costs of the investment will be financed by the Confederation and the canton of Ticino.

This is the first time that Stadler will build new, customised narrow-gauge multiple units for regional and cross-border rail transport in Ticino. The new rolling stock consists of four four-car narrow-gauge multiple units for the route from Locarno to Domodossola in Italy. Four more three-car trains are intended for regional transport services in the Centovalli.

“We are proud to be building these new trains for the Centovalli railway. The development and production of tailor-made vehicles is and remains a core business area for Stadler,” said André Kurmann, Sales Manager of Tailor Made at Stadler. “The new trains will ensure a high level of travel comfort for passengers. We have paid special attention to the design, to the choice of materials and to the safety of passengers and crew members. These aspects are crucial to us as a leading train builder, and this is where our many years of experience come into play.”

“Over the past few months, we have worked closely with Stadler to define all of the contractual details necessary for the completion of a contract of this kind,” underlines Paolo Caroni, Chairman of the Board of Directors of FART. “The challenge for us was to take advantage today of all the options for the development and modernisation of trains that will enter into service at the end of 2023 and continue to operate for decades to come. It is a great opportunity that requires vision and foresight.”