Stadler: Full Speed Ahead

Pete CodellaWhere Are They Now?

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A Swiss-based company, Stadler’s values of short development times, cost efficiency, and high flexibility helped establish and continue to secure its outstanding reputation. The company has been building trains for over 75 years, and its product portfolio includes modular vehicle concepts, tailor-made vehicles, and comprehensive maintenance services.

Stadler is a system provider of rail vehicle solutions. The company is headquartered in Bussnang, Switzerland, and has more than 13,000 employees at manufacturing and service locations worldwide.

In keeping with Stadler’s growing market share and global expansion, in June 2015, Stadler received an order from the Fort Worth Transportation Authority for eight new model diesel-electric low-floor multiple unit vehicles for its new TEXRail line. Since federal funds were used, making it subject to the Buy America Act, Stadler quickly found a former Union Pacific plant in Salt Lake City, Utah, that was for lease by the Utah Transit Authority and was well-suited to the requirements of the TEXRail order. Concurrently, the company began building a permanent 230,000 square foot, $50 million state-of-the-art facility on a 62-acre property, just five minutes from the Salt Lake City International Airport. 

“Large U.S. railway operators are future-oriented and highly interested in efficient, comfortable, and reliable vehicles for their riders. Stadler is here to provide exactly that,” said Martin Ritter, CEO of Stadler U.S. Inc.

In August 2017, Stadler received a contract valued at around $551 million from Caltrain to construct 16 high-performance electric bi-level KISS trains, with an option for another 96 bi-level multiple units. Stadler quickly realized it would need a larger production space, and a groundbreaking ceremony followed soon after. The grand opening ceremony for the new facility was held in May of 2019. The plant is located ten minutes from the international airport and just 15 minutes from downtown Salt Lake City. Its 62-acre property boasts 75,000 square feet of production space, main, pre-and final assembly of single- and bi-level trains. In addition to 100,000 square feet of storage and handling areas, test tracks are set up for the commissioning of the trains. Besides the production halls, office spaces are located on-site. Currently, Stadler U.S. employs a workforce of around 400. This number is expected to rise to 1,000 employees within the next five years. 

“It feels great to permanently take root in Salt Lake City and celebrate the beginning of a new age in railroading. That’s what this building represents. We are here to stay!” says Ritter.

Soon, one of Stadler’s largest METRO projects in the United States will begin assembly in Salt Lake City. In November 2019, Stadler and Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit signed the contract for 127 METRO underground trains in Atlanta. The contract includes two options for 25 additional trains each and is valued at over $600 million. 
“We are extremely excited about this decision and are proud to have the opportunity to support MARTA in their fleet modernization efforts,” said Ritter. “The first order of METRO trains for the United States marks another milestone in the company’s history. After the order for double-deck trains for Silicon Valley, we are especially pleased that now our METRO trains are being considered for service in the network to the world’s largest airport”.

“We are extremely excited about this decision and are proud to have the opportunity to support MARTA in their fleet modernization efforts,” said Ritter. “The first order of METRO trains for the United States marks another milestone in the company’s history. After the order for double-deck trains for Silicon Valley, we are especially pleased that now our METRO trains are being considered for service in the network to the world’s largest airport”.