Set in train

has announced that it has won orders worth around $80m (£56m) from Swiss train manufacturer

for traction and onboard power equipment.

ABB will supply specially designed traction converters with integrated onboard power supplies, as well as traction transformers and battery chargers.

ABB said in a statement that its traction products convert electricity from overhead power lines to the voltage levels needed by a train's motors and auxiliary power systems, including lighting and automatic doors.

The equipment will be installed in 50 double-decker trains serving the commuter network in and around Zurich. ABB will also provide specialised electrical equipment for Stadler Rail’s trains on routes between Switzerland and Italy.

The orders, booked in the fourth quarter of 2008 and the first quarter of 2009, mark an ongoing alliance between ABB and Stadler Rail that began in 2002. In 2008, ABB won orders from Stadler Rail to supply power electronics traction equipment for trains used in Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland and Switzerland.