Alstom and Hamburger Hochbahn have signed a major €2.8bn ($3bn) framework contract for the supply of rolling stock and signalling equipment for the new underground metro line in Hamburg, Germany.

The overall contract includes the delivery of up to 374 new fully and semi-automated DT6 metro trains and the installation of Alstom’s Urbalis CBTC system along the entire 25km U5 line, expected to open gradually from 2029.

Robert Henrich, CEO of Hamburger Hochbahn, said: “With the new vehicles, we are modernising our fleet and creating the conditions for fully automatic operation on the U5.

“The new DT6 will offer customers a completely new experience – from the interior design, transparency and brightness to the modern information systems that provide passengers with optimum orientation.”

The initial order under the framework contract will see Alstom deliver €670m worth of products in 48 metro trains and CBTC equipment for the first section of U5, covering five of the line’s 23 stations.

Construction of the first vehicles will begin in 2026, at Alstom’s Salzgitter factory, to be delivered from early 2028 for use on the Hamburg network.

Of the total order of four-car trains included in the contract, 254 of them will be semi-automated for use on Hamburg’s existing underground metro network, and 120 will be enabled for GoA4 fully automated operations on the U5 line.

Müslüm Yakisan, president of the DACH region at Alstom, said: “This contract is a milestone for Alstom. With the new metro trains and the equipping of the fully automated U5 line with innovative control and safety technology, Hamburg is meeting the growing demand for mobility and sending an international signal for digital and green mobility.”

The new DT6 trains will replace the DT4 trains, also manufactured by Alstom, that are currently used by Hamburger Hochbahn and provide an upgraded experience for passengers with modern information systems, air conditioning, and USB charging.

The construction of the U5 line is a major project for Hamburg and marks one of the biggest upgrades to the city’s metro network, one of the oldest in Europe, since it first opened in 1912.

Once open, the U5 will connect Bramfeld in northern Hamburg to the arena complex Volkspark in Stellingen, via the city centre and university hospital.

Hamburger Hochbahn expects the line to be used by around 270,000 passengers each day when fully operational, with trains running every 90 seconds.