First Saphir II trainset delivered
SWITZERLAND: Aargau Verkehr has taken delivery of the first of five Stadler ABe4/8 Saphir II electric multiple-units ordered for use on the 22 km Wynental and 10 km Suhrental lines west of Zürich from December 2025.
The two-car 750 V DC EMUs were ordered in early 2023 as an option on a 2016 contract for five three-car Saphir I sets delivered in 2019. They will replace older Be 4/4 vehicles, enabling the operator to standardise its fleet.
The two-car low-floor sets are 41 m long and 2 650 mm wide, with air-conditioning, a passenger information system, CCTV, 73 standard and 12 first class seats and space for 168 standing passengers. There are two multifunctional spaces for wheelchair users, pushchairs, luggage or bicycles.
The metre-gauge units have a maximum speed of 80 km/h and can work in multiple, including with the longer sets, to match demand.
‘With these new trains, we are further modernising our offer for the passengers with a more uniform fleet and even more comfort’, said Aargau Verkehr CEO Severin Rangosch when the first trainset arrived at Schöftland depot from Stadler’s Bussnang factory by rail on March 10.
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