FLIRT AEX EMUs for Arlanda express

A-Train AB, the operator of the Arlanda express, signed on 30 April 2025 a contract with Stadler for delivery of seven FLIRTs with an option for an eighth train. The new EMUs will operate on the busy route between Arlanda Airport and Stockholm Central Station from the end of 2029. The production will start in late of 2026. The agreement worth around 350 million CHF also includes a maintenance contract of trains for 15 years.

The new six-car FLIRT AEX units will be customised to the requirements and specific customer‘s wishes. For example the interior design takes up the Nordic style of the A-Train Lounge at Stockholm Central Station, which is characterised by bright and open spaces as well as comfortable seating and modern furnishings. These design elements are continued in the trains to enhance the travel experience. There are also different seating areas, such as lounge sofa seats for group travellers or signature seating areas for a quiet and relaxing journey.

The 165 m long trains are specially developed for the Nordic weather and environmental conditions. They are almost twice as long as the current trains and offer 323 seats, increasing the seating capacity by more than 50 %. In addition, the vehicles are barrier-free, have wheelchair spaces, large luggage stacks with maximum capacity to storage big travel suitcases and hand luggage as well as a clearly visible customer service counter. There is also standing room for up to 650 passengers.

The trains are not using the Jakob's bogies, like the new FLIRT NEX EMUs for Norske tog. The new 200 km/h FLIRT AEX EMUs working at 15 kV 16.7 Hz will have a continuous power of 4,000 kW, a maximum power of 6,400 kW and a high tractive effort of 320 kN to enable fast starts. The trains with a maximum starting acceleration of 0.77 m/s² will have the wheel diameter of 920 mm (both powered and non-powered wheelsets). 

The trains will have a width of 3,200 mm and a height of 4,380 mm above TOR. The door width will be 1,100 mm, there will be two different entrance heights (1,150 mm and 760 mm above TOR) to cater for special platform conditions. The train will weight 342 tonnes.

Magnus Zetterberg, CEO of A-Train, said: "With this investment, we continue to deliver top-class customer service to our travelers, with modern, quiet, and punctual trains. We see a clear increase in leisure travelers choosing to travel with Arlanda express, and the increased capacity makes it possible to welcome even more. Furthermore, I would like to thank Stadler for supporting our vision of redefining travel to and from the airport, and enabling us to make the unexpected happen.“

With the new fleet, A-Train will replace the seven Alstom-built 200 km/h four-car units with around 200 seats, which started service in 1999 and which will reach the end of its service life at the end of 2029. The Class X3 trains were redesigned in 2006, when the interior was overhauled by Björn Borg International. In 2010 - 2011 all trains were rebuilt and redesigned again. The project was carried out with the company iDesign: the launch of the Future Train!

Financing

In April 2025, Nordic Investment Bank (NIB) has signed a loan agreement with A-Train to finance the acquisition of new trains. The 560.5 million SEK (51 million EUR) loan, with a tenor of 6 to 8 years, will co-finance the acquisition of seven new EMUs for the Arlanda express. The new trains will increase seat capacity by 50% and departure frequency will increase from four departures per hour to six. This upgrade is expected to support growing passenger volumes, which are projected to rise from 22 million to 40 million by 2050 due to regional population growth and increased travelling.

NIB played an important role in co-financing the construction of the Arlanda Line by extending two loans - one in 1997 and another in 1999. NIB is an international financial institution owned by eight member countries: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden. The Bank finances private and public projects in and outside the member countries. NIB has the highest possible credit rating, AAA/Aaa, with the leading rating agencies S&P Global Ratings and Moody’s.

Arlanda express history

The inauguration of Arlanda express in November 1999 was a huge step forward for Swedish state of flight and transportation. Suddenly, it only took 18 minutes to smoothly travel from Stockholm Central to Arlanda Airport. A new travel alternative to and from the airport was needed to be able to construct a third runway while still fulfilling all requirements.

Traditionally, most of the money would have been provided by Swedish taxpayers. However, Sweden’s economy needed a different solution: a number of international banks were convinced to provide loans with only future ticket sale revenue as guarantee, in what became a unique joint project between state and industry. The Swedish Rail Administration was tasked with handling the expansion closest to Stockholm, with two to four new tracks between Ulriksdal and Rosersberg. A competitive bidding was held for the Arlanda part of the stretch - from Roserberg to Arlanda, and from there to Odensala.

The bidding concluded in August 1994. The winning consortium ALC consisted of the Swedish companies NCC, SIAB and Vattenfall, as well as the British companies Mowlem and GEC Alsthom. The work began in 1995, with NCC and SIAB in charge of construction, structural work and overhead lines. Mowlem provided railroad tracks and switches, and GEC Alsthom delivered the trains and signaling systems.

Arlanda Express is owned and operated by A-Train. When the railway lines were finished in the fall of 1999, the ownership was given to the Swedish state. In return, A-Train now leases the Arlanda Express train lines with an exclusive concession - the right to operate trains until 2050 (initially until 2040). The business is run entirely on a market basis.

The shares were sold in 2014 by Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund, which had owned A-Train since 2004. The acquisition was preceded by an approval process of the new owners and coordination with the owners and AIAB. Now, A-Train is owned by two Australian pension funds, STC Pooled Fund and Australian Retirement Funds, and the Chinese investment company Gingko Tree Investment Fund.

We asked A-Train if it held an open tender and what companies took part. A-Train answered us: "Arlanda Link has higher platforms than what is standard in Sweden. This eliminates level differences between the train and the platform, resulting in a flat floor throughout the train. This setup greatly improves accessibility, particularly for passengers with strollers or reduced mobility.

The decision to maintain this platform height was made early in the process, primarily to ensure better accessibility. The project also has a strict deadline, which has been another important factor in the procurement process.

Suppliers were contacted to identify those with existing rolling stock compatible with the platform height and who could meet the delivery timeline. Those who met these basic requirements, together with some others,  were invited to submit bids, and several chose to do so. Unfortunately, we are unable to disclose which suppliers submitted bids or share further details about the procurement process."