High-speed trains for international journeys

International traffic: SBB purchases new high-speed trains

With the number of passengers travelling to and from Switzerland by train continuing to rise, SBB wants to expand its offering in this area further, pursuing its target of deploying new high-speed trains for international passenger transport in future. After thorough assessments, SBB has decided to purchase 21 vehicles, and to secure options for a further 20 vehicles. The tendering process for the high-speed trains is planned for the first half of 2027.

SBB/CFF/FFS (Text), Milena Steiner (Photos)
Published on 12.03.2025, Updated on 24.09.2026, Reading time 5 minutes

Update from 24 September 2026

SBB has decided to purchase the new high-speed trains to expand its offering in international passenger transport. 21 vehicles are planned; additionally, it has secured options for a further 20 vehicles. Thorough assessments took place in the months leading up to this decision. It became apparent that it would be possible to finance the purchase within the long-term investment planning of SBB, and that it would be more economically viable across the whole service life than a leasing model.

With its own vehicles, SBB can also enhance its international offering more flexibly and independently. This strengthens cooperation with the European partner railways and creates better conditions for responding to future developments in demand.

The ongoing pre-qualification procedure for lessors is therefore being terminated, which SBB will announce on 25 September 2026 on the procurement platform SIMAP. The tendering process for the high-speed trains is planned for the first half of 2027.

By procuring the high-speed trains, SBB has created the foundation for expanding its international services long-term and offering passengers attractive, environmentally friendly connections within Europe.

Update from 26 August 2026

Demand for international passenger transport connections rose to more than 6 million passengers in the first half of 2026, representing an increase of 1.3% compared with the same period of the previous year. CEO Vincent Ducrot announced this at the media conference on the half-year results.

SBB continues to pursue the deployment of new high-speed trains. SBB is currently clarifying the financing and is in discussions with manufacturers and leasing providers. The call for tenders is planned for late 2026 or early 2027.

Update from 5 November 2025

In its quest to secure an operating lease for high-speed trains, SBB has shortlisted four leasing companies and published its selection on Simap, the Swiss public procurement platform. All of the shortlisted companies – Alpha Trains, Beacon Rail, Rock Rail and Willow Group – have experience in train leasing and meet the financial requirements and defined quality standards.

The second stage of the tender process is expected to start in the second quarter of 2026, at which point the four leasing companies will be invited to submit their bids. A separate invitation to tender for the trains themselves will be launched at the same time.

Update from 27 August 2025

SBB has announced plans to deploy as many as 40 high-speed trains. Due to financial constraints, it intends to acquire the trains by entering into an operating lease rather than purchasing the trains outright. SBB initiated the process on 27 August 2025 by publishing the prequalification documents for a 15-year leasing agreement on Simap, the Swiss public procurement platform.

SBB has opted for a selective two-stage process in its search for a lessor. This will allow the company to narrow down the pool of potential lessors to the most suitable companies, resulting in more efficient and more targeted bids.

The second stage of the process, during which the shortlisted leasing companies will be invited to submit their bids, is expected to start in 2026. A separate tender for the trains themselves will also be launched in 2026.

Update from 10 June 2025

At the start of June 2025, SBB concluded discussions with rolling stock manufacturers and leasing companies in connection with the procurement and financing of up to 40 high-speed trains for use in cross-border passenger services. These discussions were conducted in order to gather information ahead of the two planned invitations to tender: one for the purchase of the trains, including a 15-year maintenance service contract, and one for a 15-year leasing agreement.

There was great interest among both manufacturers and leasing companies. The insights obtained will be incorporated into the tender documents and taken into consideration in future decisions. As this is a formal procurement procedure, SBB is unable to provide any further details at this time.

The invitations to tender are expected to be issued in 2026.

Communication from 12 March 2025

The number of rail passengers travelling to and from Switzerland continues to grow, prompting Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) to work closely with its partner railways to expand cross-border connections. To support this expansion, the company anticipates the need for additional trains – which could potentially include high-speed trains – in the future, as well as the replacement of older vehicles, including the Astoro first series (ETR 610) in the second half of the 2030s. For this reason, SBB is investigating the possibility of procuring up to 40 multi-current high-speed trains that would primarily serve routes to Italy and France in the 2030s, with potential expansion to other destinations such as Barcelona and London.

Call for information exchanges on the Simap procurement platform

Ahead of a possible invitation to tender for the procurement of the high-speed trains, SBB issued a call for two information exchanges on the Simap procurement platform on 12 March 2025 – one directed at rolling stock manufacturers and one directed at providers of operating leases. The purpose of the information exchanges is to explore options for acquiring and maintaining the trains. SBB is currently considering two options: a purchase agreement including a 15-year service contract for maintenance and an operating lease agreement for a period of 15 years. The information exchanges with potential rolling stock manufacturers and leasing providers, which are scheduled to take place in April and May 2025, will provide SBB with important insights ahead of a possible invitation to tender, which is expected to take place in 2026.