SKF to service Berlin underground carriages in long-term agreement

Service agreement for U-Bahn trains includes original part supply and service for at least 606 carriages – and will last for a 32-year period minium.

SKF has signed a long-term agreement with Stadler Rail to equip and service rolling stock for the Berlin underground (U-Bahn) in Germany. 

The contract, with Swiss rail vehicle manufacturer Stadler Rail, is worth several million Euros. It includes a number of SKF solutions ranging from wheel set bearings and axle boxes to lubrication systems. Over the more than 32-year duration of the contract, SKF will cover spares supply. The contract is covered by a performance agreement, which is measured against a set of KPIs to ensure high customer confidence. 

“This contract will provide reliability and safety of spare parts over the entire period,” says Thomas White, Key Account Manager for Railways at SKF. “This aims to reduce logistics efforts and raise reliability for both the train operator and Stadler Rail.” 

Under the agreement, SKF will service more than 606 rail carriages, to be built between 2022 and 2026. This may extend to a total of 1,500 carriages. Berlin U-bahn operator, Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG), has said that this is the largest vehicle purchasing programme in its history – with a budget of around €3 billion for up to 1,500 carriages. 

Overall, the SKF contract will involve the supply and servicing of more than 12,000 wheelset bearings, among other services. The wheelset bearings are insocoated – so have a plasma coating to prevent electrical damage. 

SKF’s long-standing relationship with Stadler, its ability to offer a broad service package and its technical expertise were key factors behind winning the contract. SKF was also involved in the very early phase of development – developing product solutions that were tailored to the customer’s needs. 

The service contract aims to help to improve the reliability and uptime of trains on the U-Bahn. 

SKF can support rail manufacturers to meet their RAMS (Reliability, Availability, Maintainability and Safety) and LCC (Lifecycle Costing) responsibilities, a key factor in modern rail stock performance.