Railway Gazette reported that Stadler Rail has announced a CHF 25 million order to supply four articulated electric multiple units for the 5.3 kilometers long rack railway which SNC Lavalin is building on the Puy de Dome in the Massif Central.

The vehicles will be based on units which the Swiss train builder has supplied for FGC's meter gauge Montserrat rack line near Barcelona. They will be customized to suit the needs of tourists, with very large windows giving uninterrupted views as the units climb 600 meters in 4 kilometers.

So far this year, Stadler has won four orders for rack and pinion rail vehicles worth almost CHF 200 million. This includes a CHF 141 million order for 10 EMUs for Switzerland's Zentralbahn which Stadler says is the largest ever order for rack trains.

Transports de Martigny et Régions has placed a CHF 18.5 million order for two three car panoramic train sets to operate through trains on the Martigny-Chamonix-Saint-Gervais route between France and Switzerland, while in a CHF 12 million joint deal Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn and Zentralbahn have each ordered one locomotive and Austria's Schneebergbahn two. The 550 kW diesel electric locomotives are equipped for remote control and slow-speed running, and can operate downhill without engine power.

(Sourced from www.railwaygazette.com)