X25 EMUs for Saltsjöbanan
posted on 11th Nov 2025 17:17
On 11 November 2025, Škoda Group signed a contract in Stockholm with Storstockholms Lokaltrafik (SL) for the supply of new EMUs for Saltsjöbanan. This is a suburban railway that starts in the centre of Stockholm and runs southeast to Saltsjöbaden on the Baltic Sea coast in the Stockholm archipelago. This is where the name Saltsjöbaden comes from, which literally means "salt sea spa". It is an important recreational area to which the Saltsjöbanan ("Salt Sea Line") has been running since 1893.
After a historical development in which freight traffic gradually disappeared from the line, the latter was taken over by the city of Stockholm in 1969 and is now owned by SL, which classifies it as a light rail. The 1,435 mm gauge, 18.5 km long line is an isolated section (not connected to the national railway network), has 18 stops and is equipped with a 750 V DC overhead line, which is gradually being converted to 1,500 V DC. The line is mainly single-track, has several loops and is undergoing some modernizations, which are due to be completed by 2028. The transport is provided by Stockholms Spårvägar.
Two- and three-car units manufactured in 1975 - 76 by ASEA and consisting of C10 power cars and C11 non-powered cars are used here. These trains have a top speed of 70 km/h and are modifications of the C8 sets from the Stockholm Metro. Now, after more than half a century of service, the fleet is about to be replaced by units that have been given the designation X25 (this follows on from the designation X15p for EMUs produced by Stadler on another line in the Stockholm region, Roslagsbanan with a track-gauge of 891 mm).
SL therefore launched a tender, which was won by the Škoda Group. The contract includes 16 two-car X25 units worth approximately 1.56 billion SEK (around 142 million EUR) and also an option for another 15 EMUs. If they are confirmed in full, the value of the order, including the supply of spare parts and training of personnel, will increase to more than 2.5 billion SEK.
The 36 m long units will have a maximum speed of 80 km/h and all bogies will be powered. The capacity will be approximately 250 passengers, of which 94 will be seated. During peak hours, it will be possible to couple up to three units in multiple control.
The joint design phase will begin in 2026, when the exterior and interior design will be definitively determined; the Finnish division Škoda Transtech will also participate in the development. Production is to begin in 2027 and the first trains are to be delivered to Stockholm in 2029 for test operation. Regular service is planned to begin at the turn of 2029/30 and after the entire batch is delivered, it will be possible to offer up to 12-minute intervals on the line during peak hours.
