Red Dot Award 2025 for the design of Avelia Stream Nordic X80

Alstom has been awarded the Red Dot Award 2025 for the design of its new high-speed platform Avelia Stream Nordic X80. The award highlights the train’s design, which combines Nordic functionality with advanced technology and application of strong sustainability principles. The official ceremony took place on 8 July in Essen.

Avelia Stream Nordic X80 has been specifically engineered to perform reliably in harsh Scandinavian climates, withstanding temperatures from -40 to +35 °C. The train accommodates 270 seated passengers and includes multifunctional areas for bicycles, strollers and wheelchairs. Its pressure-tight bodyshells ensure a quiet and smooth ride even at high speeds and the train has the ability to run through 80 cm of snow.

In addition to its award-winning exterior, Avelia Stream Nordic X80 is designed with a focus on safety, accessibility and environmental responsibility. The driver’s cabs offer excellent visibility and automatic climate control, while the passenger interior blends quiet zones with social spaces, tailored for both work and relaxation. The train features extra-wide doors and easy access for all passengers, including those with reduced mobility and families with strollers. Flexible layouts for seats, bikes and luggage contribute to an inclusive travel experience. Avelia Stream Nordic X80 is designed for speeds of up to 200 km/h and is equipped with the ETCS.

This is the second design award these trains have won. In 2020 there was said: "The plan is for the first trains to arrive at the end of 2021. They will then be tested before they begin regular service. The trains will operate on all Västtrafik train routes in Västra Götaland." However, they are still not in service...

On 13 October 2023 was officially opened the expanded Sävenäs depot to be ready to receive 45 new Class X80 Västtrafik EMU. The extension work began in spring 2022 and was necessary to handle the future increased traffic in the growing region. The expansion by two tracks, each 180 m long, tripled the capacity of the depot. The 4,200 m² depot extension was built by Jernhusen for Västtrafik. The region is growing, and Västtrafik aims to double the current number of train journeys to 130,000 per day by 2035.

During autumn 2023, various train types were tested at the Sävenäs depot, so that the facility will be able to maintain almost the entire Västtrafik fleet. In 2023, it was planned that the first X80 would enter service in April 2025 and that the remaining vehicles, built at Hennigsdorf, would be delivered at a rapid pace by the turn of 2026/27.

On 7 August, Västtrafik said the first X80 EMUs are expected to start operation in the coming winter. There are currently six vehicles in Sweden: the first five pre-series trains used for type testing, and now also the sixth one, which is planned to enter service this coming winter. There are 25 units currently in production in Henngisdorf, ranging from early stages of bodyshell manufacturing to the final stages before delivery.

The Sävenäs depot to be ready to maintain 45 new Class X80 Västtrafik EMU has following its 4,200 m² extension the total of 8,000 m². The addition of two tracks, each 180 m long, designed to accommodate two 80-metre trains, means that the depot now has four tracks and six workstations, allowing for six trains to be serviced inside. The original tracks are approximately 100 m long. Västtrafik currently operates three other depots in the region: in Falköping, Lidköping and Göteborg.