Sbase issues tender for procuring 96 new electric trains composed of aluminium

Sbase, the state-owned firm managing the Buenos Aires Subte metro, has issued a tender for procuring 96 new air-conditioned electric trains on Line B, which runs from Leandro N Alem to Juan Manuel de Rosas. According to Sbase, the new fleet must be made of aluminium or stainless steel. It will have a CCTV, an audio-visual passenger information system, vandal-resistant LED lighting and longitudinal seating.

The new fleet will replace Mitsubishi trains that are now, on average, 60 years old, increasing the share of air-conditioned trains on Line B from 45 per cent to 100 per cent. In addition to the Mitsubishi fleet, Line B is operated by CAF's more contemporary series 6000 trains. Line B is the busiest metro line in Buenos Aires, transporting 216,796 people daily. It is 11.8 km long and serves 17 stations, including interchanges with lines C, D, E, and H.

Furthermore, the new trains must be equipped with ATP and be capable of running under CBTC at Grade of Automation 2 (GoA 2), which is already in use on Buenos Aires' Line H and is being implemented on Line D. Line B vehicles must be 3.1m wide and 17m long, either vehicle must have four doors on either side. On December 20, bids will be opened. The first train must be delivered within 20 months of the contract being signed with the winning bidder.

Aluminium's properties make it an essential part of renewable energy systems, energy storage devices, electricity transmission lines, frames of solar photovoltaic panels and tanks for hydrogen storage and transportation. In addition, aluminium is one of the top materials of choice for EVs, whose market has witnessed a multi-fold increase in recent years. Read more from AL Circle’s , “Global Aluminium Industry Outlook 2023.”