Tram contract

and

have secured a contract to supply 83 electric trams for Deutsche Bahn Regio (

) in Germany.

Building on April 2009's €917m (£810m) deal to provide double-decker trains in Paris, the consortium will receive a further €452m to supply the ET430 series for use on the S-Bahn network in Stuttgart.

Reaching speeds of 140km/h, each unit will be equipped with regenerative brakes. According to the consortium, the new trams will be 40 per cent more efficient than the ET420 series currently used in Stuttgart.

Dr Lutz Bücken, Systemverbund Bahn’s chief representative, responsible for DB procurement, said: 'Our aim is to offer our customers the best possible service, which is why we consistently continue to invest in modern, reliable and energy efficient vehicles. Deutsche Bahn will remain one of our economy's major contractors, ensuring job security in the coming years with its orders.'

The contract includes the option for 83 additional multiple units of the ET430 series. The vehicles will be built by Bombardier in Hennigsdorf and by Alstom in Salzgitter, with delivery scheduled between February 2012 and December 2012.