The train game in the northwest persists with a hitch
The rollout of rail transportation in Bremen and parts of Lower Saxony remains sluggish. As rail tech giant Alstom announced on Monday, the delivery of 34 trains for the Bremen-Lower Saxony express hub won't happen till 2025, pushing the originally scheduled end-of-2024 date aside. Alstom cited the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine as chief catalysts, leading to lasting personnel shortages and material constraints.
The planned express line aims to link cities like Bremen, Bremerhaven, Oldenburg, Osnabrück, Norddeich, Hanover, and Wilhelmshaven. Alstom clinched the contract for the delivery of 34 double-deckers in 2021 from the Landesnahverkehrsgesellschaft (LNVG). Additionally, Alstom handles 30 years of maintenance for the trains. The worth of the contract? Close to 760 million euros.
Last year, Alstom disclosed it could only supply 10 of the 34 trains by December 2024. Now, the company can't even stick to this revised deadline. Alstom expressed regret regarding the delayed rollout of the trains, promising that the entire fleet will be available by the end of 2025. To facilitate this, they've invested a small fortune in expanding their Salzgitter production base.
Since the trains won't be here anytime soon, Alstom will also deploy modern electric trains as substitutes, assuring the continuity of the planned rail traffic.
"It's incredibly frustrating to experience yet another delay," said Dirk Altwig, a spokesperson for the regional transport company. He emphasized that Alstom is contractually bound to provide a suitable replacement, incorporating trains, maintenance, and staff training.
"We'll certainly re-evaluate our position following this latest setback," acknowledged an LNVG spokesperson. However, they expect passenger-related effects to be minimal. "We have faith that Alstom will do its utmost to ease the impact of this delay on train passengers," said Altwig.
Also worth perusing:
- Faced with challenges stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, Alstom digs into its coffers to invest a modest sum into amplifying its Salzgitter production facility to ensure the delivery of 34 new trains to the Bremen-Lower Saxony express hub by 2025.
- The global downturn caused by COVID-19 and the geopolitical strife surrounding the Ukraine war have sparked prolonged labor shortages and material bottlenecks, prompting Alstom to push the delivery of 34 trains for the Bremen-Lower Saxony express hub from 2024 to 2025.
- To ensure the upkeep of rail traffic during the wait for the new trains, Alstom steps in with modern electric train replacements for the Bremen-Lower Saxony express hub.
- As a consequence of the postponement, inter-city rail traffic is set for interruptions in connectivity between cities like Bremen, Oldenburg, Osnabrück, Hanover, and Wilhelmshaven, though the regional transport company remains hopeful that Alstom will take remedial action to mitigate passenger impact.
- The pursuit of new trains for the Northwest German cities, such as Osnabrück, Bremerhaven, and Wilhelmshaven, remains stalled due to the setback faced by Alstom in delivering the 34 double-deckers, caused by COVID-19 and Ukraine conflict challenges.
- In 2021, Alstom secured the contract to deliver 34 double-deckers to the Bremen-Lower Saxony express hub, but the rail tech giant admitted that it would fail to meet the previously adjusted delivery deadline of December 2024, now revised to 2025 due to the effects of COVID-19 and the Ukraine war on its production line.
- The planned express route connecting cities like Bremen, Bremerhaven, and Oldenburg faces a delay in the delivery of new trains as Alstom grapples with the impact of COVID-19 and the ongoing Ukraine conflict on its ability to meet production targets.
