Stadler METRO

Stadler METRO is a platform of modular electric multiple unit and battery electric multiple unit trainsets made by Stadler Rail for use on heavy and light railways. They are currently used on the Berlin U-Bahn as BVG Class IK, the Minsk Metro as M110/M111 series, the Glasgow Subway as the G3 stock, on Merseyrail services in the Liverpool City Region as the Class 777 and on the Tyne and Wear Metro as the Class 555. They will soon be used on the MARTA subway system of Atlanta, Georgia, as the CQ400s, and on the Lisbon Metro as the ML 20 and ML 24 series.

Stadler introduced the METRO platform in 2012 as a modular family of electric and battery-electric trainsets designed for use on a variety of urban metro systems. The platform was developed to accommodate the wide technical variability found across global rapid transit networks, including differences in loading gauge, track gauge, traction power systems, and platform interfaces. To address these diverging standards, Stadler adopted a modular approach that allows operators to specify train length, interior configuration, door arrangements, and power-collection equipment.

Initial production began in the early 2010s, and early customers included systems in central and eastern Europe. The platform later saw wider adoption, with orders from operators in western Europe and the United Kingdom, followed by expansion into the United States when the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority placed a major order in 2019.

Throughout its development, Stadler has refined the METRO platform through incremental technical updates. These include a lightweight carbody constructed from aluminium and high-strength steel, enhanced HVAC systems, and the incorporation of redundant onboard subsystems intended to improve fleet availability. The platform is also designed for compatibility with high levels of rail automation, supporting operation up to Grade of Automation 4 (unattended train operation).

By the mid-2020s, the METRO had become one of Stadler’s principal urban-rail product families, with continuing repeat orders and new-build fleets such as the ML 20 and ML 24 series for Lisbon’s metro network.

METRO trains are a fully customizable electric multiple unit train, primarily for urban rapid transit systems, that can be built from two to ten cars, and can accommodate up to 900 passengers.

The trains are fully electric, using a mix of third rail, pantograph, or batteries for power, however only two of the three options can be picked due to space limitations on the trains.

The battery variation of the train can do between 20 and 55 km (12 and 34 miles) without charging, and can be recharged in less than 15 minutes.