Early this morning, the first coach of the 22 trains ordered by CP arrived in Portugal from Stadler’s plant in Albuixech. It marks the operator’s first new rolling stock purchase since 2002, when the Class 3400 units entered service.
According to Publico.pt, the delivery took place by road to Entroncamento, where all the cars arriving over the coming months will be unloaded at the workshops for assembly, testing and certification.
These 22 trains are intended to renew CP’s regional fleet. The procurement process began in January 2019, and the contract was awarded on 16 December that same year. However, CAF challenged the decision, and it was not until October 2020 that the contract could finally be signed.
Originally, the agreement scheduled the first units for delivery by late 2025. Although Stadler later postponed the deadline and agreed on a new timeline with CP, deliveries have indeed begun before the end of the year.
Out of the 22 trains purchased, 12 are bi-mode diesel-electric units, while the rest are fully electric. They will help rejuvenate a regional rolling stock fleet whose most modern trains are the Class 2240 — rebuilt between 2003 and 2005 from 1970s-era Class 2100 and 2150 units.