Stadler has delivered its first new-generation FINK unit to Swiss train operator Zentralbahn.
Overnight on 12th/13th August, the new unit was transported from Stadler’s factory at Bussnang to Meiringen, where, over the next few months, it will undergo intensive acceptance testing before entering service.
It is the first of ten FINK units on order from Stadler, and was transported on a rolling bogie from Stadler’s factory at Bussnang to Interlaken Ost, where it was unloaded onto the Zentralbahn network on 13th August.
Stadler FINK unit for Zentralbahn of Switzerland. // Credit: Stadler
Commissioning and preparation for service on the Zentralbahn network will take place from Meiringen.
The unit will be subjected to real-life operating conditions and undergo tests to assess its handling, braking performance, the operation of the rack-and-pinion and adhesion drive systems, the vehicle control system, and the train protection system.
The new trains have 111 seats in second class and 17 in first class.
After completion of all tests, the FINK will receive final approval and be ready to enter regular service from the timetable change on 13th December 2026.
At first, it will mainly operate a new half-hourly service between Lucerne and Engelberg due to be introduced on the same date, with the other nine FINK units being commissioned and entering service in subsequent weeks.
Stadler FINK unit for Zentralbahn of Switzerland. // Credit: Stadler
Zentralbahn has also ordered seven ADLER trains from Stadler to supplement its fleet.
These will be delivered from the end of 2027, and with the FINK units, represent the largest procurement in Zentralbahn’s history, which dates back to 2005, when it acquired the independently-owned Luzern–Stans–Engelberg line and Swiss Federal Railways’ Brünig line.
Elsewhere in Switzerland, Stadler is installing communication-based train control in trams running in Basle. It is also in the process of building ten trains for Stockholm’s urban transport operator.