Annual Report 2006 (pdf) - EuroMaint Rail

EuroMaint Rail
Refurbishment contract in
Norway – ground-breaking
for both parties
EuroMaint Rail has been commissioned by Norwegian State Railways, NSB, to refurbish 59 passenger
carriages over the next two years. This is our first major order outside Sweden, and the first time Norway’s
state railway company has looked beyond national borders for such a comprehensive assignment.
The refurbishment contract is of strategic importance to EuroMaint
Rail. It testifies that we perform well in competition with other European
players and is a clear step in our international establishment.
The Norwegian market has recently been deregulated and placing
such a large order outside of Norway was a big decision for NSB. It
also sent a clear signal to the outside world that national borders are
becoming less important.
At the same time it has brought us extended relations with NSB as
the company acquired parts of Swedish train operator Tågkompaniet,
which was already our customer, at the beginning of 2007.
Modernising passenger carriages
The assignment includes the modernisation and refurbishment of
59 carriages on long routes in southern Norway.
“For us this is an important renewal of our customer offering. To
retain our competitiveness the trains must be of good quality. We are
therefore carrying out extensive refurbishment over the next few years.
We are looking forward to putting the modernised carriages into
service,” says Rolf Roverud, Deputy CEO of NSB.
“Placing such a
large order outside
Norway was a big
decision for NSB”
International competition
Several European suppliers competed for the order. Bids were assessed
based on technology, price, commercial terms and experience. As part
of the evaluation process, NSB carried out an audit at the workshop in
Malmö. After the contract had been signed, NSB confirmed that the
results from the visit had been a major consideration in the decision.
“I think that, apart from a competitive price and our quality, the
audit in Malmö was one of the deciding factors in winning us the
order,” says Lars Åkerlind, Head of Marketing at EuroMaint Rail.
“The tendering process entailed questions, answers and negotiations,
and at the same time adjustments were made to the specification by
both parties. This process enabled us to clearly demonstrate our ability
to be receptive and meet the customer’s needs and preferences.”
Planning in progress
The order is for a complete refurbishment from construction to
delivery which entails upgrading the comfort and environment of the
carriages. It mainly involves an internal update, with a new interior
and new seats, but also some technically advanced systems such as
climate control.
There is a great deal to plan in an interactive process with the
customer, such as the choice of colours and materials. When the
first carriage arrives at the workshop, all the work flows have to
function properly all stages need to be planned and the material
flow must run smoothly.
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