Clean, preferably emission-free multiple-unit trains are the backbone of environmentally friendly passenger rail transportation. This makes it even more urgent to take out old diesel trains from the fleet and to replace them with energy-efficient electric vehicles. While the first operations have been launched with alternatively driven trains in Europe, other countries have chosen the path of electrifying their respective networks. Keeping a rapid pace, Asian countries are pursuing the ambitious goal of expanding regional and suburban transport and operate these services purely electrical. Significantly higher growth rates concerning deliveries of electric multiple units could be observed in India and China. In Europe, in turn, the overall market presents itself in a stable and resistant image after the challenging coronavirus years, however, still behind expectations, especially when it comes to the pace of decarbonising the fleet. These are the results depicted in the most recent market study “Multiple Units – Global Market Trends”, available from September 2024.

Delimitation of multiple units: Generic term of self-driven motorized trains, which normally consist of several coupled individual units for operation on regional and commuter lines (top speed of usually 120-160 km/h).

In concrete terms, this study includes:

• A regionally differentiated examination of the worldwide market for multiple units for regional and commuter transport including an in-depth analysis of the most important national markets
• A comprehensive analysis of the current installed bases concerning operational purposes, quantities, age structure and future procurement potential
• An overview per region of the most important drivers behind the procurement and refurbishment of multiple units
• Analysis of market shares of manufacturers per region and focus country, including procurements of the last five years (in units)
• Forecast of new procurement and after-sales volumes (in EUR) for each region up to 2028
• Type-specific forecast of future vehicle requirements in each region, divided into the following sub-segments: EMU SD (single-deck), EMU DD (double-deck), DMU (diesel), XMU (alternative), bi-mode (diesel/electric)
• Detailed description of important current and planned procurement projects

All in all, the study provides a well-founded analysis of the worldwide market for regional and commuter multiple units. The study therefore offers both companies established in the railway industry as well as active and potential operators important information for operational and strategic planning.

SCI Verkehr analyses markets from the bottom up: based upon systematic observation of the railway markets, a detailed worldwide database of the installed base and projects forms the basis for in-depth studies on the various segments of the railway industry and the most important regional focus markets. Within the scope of the continuous creation of the Multi-Client Series, SCI Verkehr systematically analyses more than 100 core countries for railway technology.