SBB is expanding its international offering to Germany, meaning it requires new trains, which can run on the high-speed network of Deutsche Bahn (DB).
According to Stadler, before the Covid-19 pandemic, demand for train travel to Germany from Switzerland rose continuously and it is now already back at 2019 levels. More direct connections via Basel to various destinations in Germany are expected to be offered from 2026.
For this expansion of services, SBB trains must be able to run at a speed of 250 km/h on DB’s high-speed lines. SBB is currently using the Astoro (ETR610) and the Eurocity compositions procured in the late 1980s for traffic to Germany. The Eurocity trains do not meet the speed requirements for the intended service concept and cannot be used for this purpose. The existing Astoro, which can operate on the high-speed network, are already in use on other high-speed lines and are therefore not available.
SBB is therefore ordering a further seven Giruno trains from Stadler for around CHF 250m (€245m). These seven vehicles are part of the option right published by SBB in the tender for Giruno. The Eurocity compositions will continue to be used for national and other international connections.
The existing 29 Giruno were ordered in 2014. On May 10, 2021, the 29th Giruno was delivered. Trains already run between Basel/Zurich to Lugano/Milan and on to Genoa, Bologna, and Venice.
“We are proud to be able to deliver seven more of our high-speed trains to SBB. The Giruno is a fine example of Stadler’s innovative strength. The train is a result of many years of successful cooperation between SBB and Stadler. Less than two years after signing the contract, we were able to present the multiple unit to the public at Innotrans in 2016 and the Giruno has been reliably on the rails since 2019,” said Peter Spuhler, chairman of the board of directors and group CEO of Stadler.
The Giruno is Stadler’s SMILE high-speed train. The SMILE is an 11-car electric multi-system multiple-unit train with a length of 202 meters that can travel at speeds of up to 250 km/h. In double traction, the Giruno offers passengers a total of 810 seats over a length of up to 400 meters. The trains are equipped with a low-floor entrance for the different platform heights in Switzerland, Austria, and Italy (55 cm each) as well as Germany (76 cm). This is a first for SBB with a single-story multiple-unit train.