According to media reports, a consortium led by Deutsche Bahn has been awarded a billion-euro contract to operate the core lines of Berlin's S-Bahn. According to Sunday's edition of Berlin's Tagesspiegel newspaper, letters to this effect were sent to the companies involved on Friday, including train manufacturers Stadler and Siemens. The consortium prevailed over French competitor Alstom, which operates a railway factory in nearby Hennigsdorf.
The contract covers the operation, procurement, and maintenance of the S-Bahn for a total of 15 years. Funding of €15 billion is available for this purpose. According to the report, operations will continue to be carried out by DB subsidiary S-Bahn Berlin GmbH, with Stadler and Siemens supplying at least 1,400 new coaches. The contract covers the north-south routes and the east-west light rail system, which together account for around two-thirds of the total network.
However, Alstom can still take legal action against the award, which is considered likely. This would further delay the entire process, which has already been dragging on for years. The company had already unsuccessfully challenged the tender conditions in court. Alstom lacks a partner for rail operations, which is why it had requested that the tenders for operation and procurement be separated.
The Bahn für Alle (Rail for All) initiative opposed the partial privatization of the S-Bahn associated with the award and called for the procedure to be revoked. “The award is not an end to the horror, but another stop on a never-ending horror ride,” it said in a statement. Instead, Berlin should “secure a majority stake in S-Bahn GmbH for a low single-digit billion euro amount.”
The Railway and Transport Union (EVG), on the other hand, welcomed the award decision. This sends “an important signal for long-term security – for the employees themselves, but ultimately above all for the passengers,” explained EVG chairman Martin Burkert.
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