Stadler presents first double-deck carr produced in Hungary

On 17 January 2025, Stadler celebrated the 15th anniversary of the opening of its bodyshell works in Szolnok. The highlight of the occasion was the unveiling of the very first aluminium double-deck bodyshell to be produced by Stadler in Hungary, in an event presided over by Péter Szijjártó, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Peter Spuhler, CEO of Stadler. This achievement is a significant landmark in the history of the Hungarian rail industry. It highlights the importance and growth of the Szolnok plant over the last 15 years and has been made possible by a 45 million EUR  development program announced in 2023. Peter Spuhler announced further development of the plant. The introduction of a special, so-called friction stir welding (FSW) technology will make production more sustainable with the need of less raw material, energy, and waste. The plant can start using the new technology at the end of this year. 

Largest production site in Central and Eastern Europe 

Opening in 2009, the factory was originally designed for up to 200 bodyshells to be built there annually and with 200 employees. The original team of 100 people, who had been trained in Switzerland, produced 52 bodyshells in the first year. Over the past 15 years, the factory has become the largest production site and one of the most modern facilities in the CEE region. The plant, which is now Stadler’s largest factory for bodyshells, will produce not only single-deck but also double-deck bodyshells, as a result of the last investment announced in 2023. The investments means that now are  170 jobs in total in this factory.  

Stadler Szolnok has produced a total of 5,600 bodyshells, exceeding the previous figure of 5,000 by September 2023. Trains with bodies from Szolnok are operating in 14 countries, including the USA, Great Britain, Spain, Italy, Norway, Germany and the Netherlands. To date, Stadler has invested 200 million EUR in Szolnok, indicating the significance of the Hungarian factory in the performance of the group. 

As well as being a significant employer in Hungary, Stadler has also built 195 rail vehicles, which are in service in this country. MÁV-START and GYSEV operate a total of 143 FLIRTs, 40 KISSes and 12 Citylink tram-trains. Stadler-built vehicles in MÁV-START’s fleet cover a total of 35 million km per year. This equates to a third of MÁV-START’s total mileage covered and means that half of these passengers travel on Stadler trains. Stadler trains operating in Hungary boast enviable rates of availability and reliability, operating at more than 90 per cent every year.