Delivery chaos at KVB: New Stadtbahnen only available in 2026!

Delivery chaos at KVB: New Stadtbahnen only available in 2026!

Köln, Deutschland - The Cologne Verkehrsbetriebe (KVB) are faced with considerable delivery delays on the part of the rail manufacturer Alstom. According to KStA.de Line 1.

The order was granted in November 2020 and has a volume of 363 million euros. The new trains that are 60 meters long should replace the outdated K 4000 series that has been in use since 1995.

long waiting time for test trains

The first delivery was originally supposed to take place from September 2023. But that was late: the KVB spokesman reports on a current delay in delivery of 36 months. The first trains could only be available in spring 2026. KVB boss Stefanie Haaks expressed serious doubts about compliance with the newly scheduled appointment. Alstom has confirmed the technical challenges in the production of the new railways and regrets the inconveniences for KVB and passengers.

The conversations between KVB and Alstom are currently not only about schedules, but also about contractual penalties that have already been paid out. According to reports, Alstom prioritizes orders in which no penalty payment is due yet. Rundschau-online.de added that the spare parts for old vehicles that are also difficult to get beyond their technical lifespan are currently difficult to obtain are.

problems on several fronts

Not only the KVB are affected by the delays in delivery. The Lower Saxony State Transport Society also has to struggle with similar difficulties, as from a message from lnvg.de . Here Alstom once again apologized for the delivery difficulties on new double -decker trains, the first planned delivery date of which has now been postponed several times.

The current delivery dates for these trains are now in March 2026, which could result in a possible disorder of train traffic from December 2025. In this context it became clear that Alstom did not promise any replacement vehicles for the unusual trains, which also exacerbates the situation.

For the KVB, the pressure is greater to modernize their outdated vehicles of the K4000 series, since the maintenance work must be restricted due to the delivery situation. The renovation project is expected to begin in May next year. This could lead to additional failures in passenger operation. At the same time, a specialist company is being sought to support the KVB in modernizing the old fleet.

Overall, the situation remains tense for both KVB and passengers, while they hope for a solution to the shortcomings at Alstom.