Stockholm chooses a purpose-designed fleet for light-rail line
Region Stockholm has chosen a purpose-designed fleet from Škoda for the Saltsjöbanan light-rail line, selecting vehicles adapted to the corridor’s tight stop spacing, dual-voltage requirements and single-track sections. Instead of using a standard tram platform, the procurement focuses on a train family adjusted specifically to the line’s operating conditions.
The order covers 16 two-car units with options for 15 more, forming a potential fleet of 31 trains expected from 2029–2030. Each 36 m unit is configured for 750/1 500 V DC, carries around 250 passengers and can run in three-unit formations to meet peak demand. Infrastructure works — additional passing loops, strengthened power supply and upgraded stations — are progressing in parallel.
A fleet adapted to an isolated suburban corridor
Saltsjöbanan is a standalone suburban light-rail line with single-track sections, limited turnback capacity and closely spaced stops. Its operating pattern resembles tram-train or purpose-defined light-rail rather than metro or commuter rail.
In this setting, Region Stockholm’s choice of a purpose-designed fleet becomes straightforward: a generic tram platform would be underpowered and lack capacity, while a metro-style train would be unnecessarily large. A customised light-rail train sits between those extremes and fits the corridor’s demands.
Seen in a wider context, this fits a Nordic pattern
Although driven by local operational requirements, the decision aligns with a broader Nordic tendency: isolated light-rail or tram-train corridors increasingly select suppliers experienced in customised, operationally constrained suburban systems.
Helsinki, Tampere and Gothenburg have made similar choices in the past decade, choosing fleets tuned to geometry, climate and voltage profiles. Region Stockholm’s move fits naturally within that trend.
Why Škoda fits this segment particularly well
Several structural features help explain why Škoda is gaining ground in Nordic tenders for small, isolated light-rail systems.
First, Škoda has long experience delivering electrical and traction equipment for rail vehicles — a history reaching back to the early 20th century — and in the past 25 years has developed into a well-established producer of modern low-floor trams. This background aligns closely with the operational world of standalone suburban light-rail lines.
Second, Škoda develops key systems in-house — including bogies, traction equipment, control electronics and bodyshells. This makes it easier to tune braking behaviour, acceleration curves and voltage performance for lines with single-track timing constraints.
Third, Škoda is structurally suited to small and medium-sized vehicle batches of 10–40 trains. Larger suppliers focus on high-volume frameworks, whereas the Saltsjöbanan fleet size fits Škoda’s competitive sweet spot.
Fourth, the company’s Artic-derived bogie technology, proven in Nordic winter conditions, supports low-floor continuity and reduces curve wear — features that frequently shape Nordic tenders.
Finally, Nordic transport authorities increasingly value a broader supplier base after decades of limited competition. Škoda’s entry widens the field without requiring major platform overhauls.
The baseline: Škoda has deep industrial roots in Central Europe and has supplied electrical systems for trams for more than a century, but its role as a producer of complete modern low-floor trams dates from the late 1990s. Region Stockholm’s decision is therefore both a local fleet renewal and part of a wider shift: small, isolated light-rail corridors are increasingly sourcing purpose-designed trains — and Škoda appears well-suited to that specific need.