CPV 346 – Railway Locomotives and Rolling Stock

What does CPV 346 cover?

CPV Group 346 (34600000) classifies public contracts for railway locomotives, rolling stock and accessories. This group encompasses electric and diesel locomotives, multiple units and trainsets, passenger coaches for regional and long-distance services, freight wagons, tram vehicles, metro cars, light rail vehicles, and spare parts and accessories for rolling stock fleets. Maintenance and specialist vehicles for track construction and upkeep also fall within this area.

Public transport operators are the most significant contracting authorities: municipal transport companies procure trams, metro trains and suburban rail vehicles. For regional rail, public transport authorities and procurement bodies are typically the ordering parties, while long-distance rail is largely operated commercially. Procurement volumes in this segment are enormous – individual metro fleet procurements can run to billions of euros.

Current trends include the transition to emission-free drive systems (electric, hydrogen) and the integration of modern passenger information and communications systems. EU rail vehicle standards (TSI) and national approval requirements impose particular demands on interoperability and safety. Hydrogen-powered regional trains are already entering service with public transport operators.

Further information on the CPV system is available from the European Commission's SIMAP portal and in Regulation (EC) No 213/2008.

Typical Services in CPV 346

• Tram vehicles and low-floor trams
• Metro trains and light rail vehicles
• Regional multiple units and regional trains
• High-speed trains and inter-city rolling stock
• Track maintenance vehicles for infrastructure operators
• Spare and replacement parts for rolling stock fleets

Examples of Tenders with CPV 346

• Trams for a Major City: A municipal transport operator tenders the supply of 50 low-floor trams (40 m, bidirectional, air conditioning, Wi-Fi) with a maintenance contract for fleet modernisation – published on TED (Tenders Electronic Daily).
• Regional Multiple Units for a Transport Authority: A regional authority as procurement body procures 30 electric multiple units (160 km/h, ETCS, accessibility to TSI PRM) for its regional passenger rail lines – advertised on DTVP (German Procurement Portal).
• Track Maintenance Vehicles for a Tram Operator: A tram network operator procures a rail-grinding machine, a rail lubrication vehicle and an overhead line maintenance vehicle for routine upkeep of its network.

Current tenders with CPV 346 are published on TED (Tenders Electronic Daily) and on national procurement platforms such as the German Procurement Portal (DTVP).

Who is CPV 346 relevant for?

Public Contracting Authorities

Municipal public transport operators (trams, metro), public regional rail procurement authorities, federal rail regulatory bodies and public railway undertakings are typical contracting authorities. Accessibility requirements under TSI PRM and national disability access legislation apply to all new rolling stock. The shift to alternative drive systems is reshaping fleet procurement strategies across the EU.

Companies and Bidders

Rolling stock manufacturers, vehicle technology system integrators, and component suppliers for drive systems, bogies, control desks and passenger information systems are typical bidders. National rail authority approvals, TSI conformity and interoperability certificates are minimum requirements. Further information is available from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK).

How does Bond help with CPV 346?

Tender Match – Automatically Find Tenders (CPV 346)

With tender.match, rolling stock manufacturers, vehicle technology system integrators and railway component suppliers automatically receive all relevant tenders with CPV 346 directly in their dashboard. BOND indexes tenders from over 1,000 procurement portals in the EU – from TED to national platforms and regional contracting authorities. Instead of manually searching dozens of portals every day, matching rolling stock contracts are filtered and delivered by industry, competency, region, and company profile. An automated gap analysis immediately shows where the company meets the requirements and where gaps exist. This ensures companies never miss a deadline and can focus on preparing their bids.

Company Match – Find the Right Partners and Suppliers (CPV 346)

For companies looking for suppliers, subcontractors, or consortium partners for rolling stock and rail projects, company.match provides direct access to qualified firms from an EU-wide database of over 28 million companies. Especially for larger rolling stock procurements that a single company cannot handle alone, company.match automatically identifies suitable partners for bidding consortia and partial services – increasing the chances of winning the contract.

Frequently Asked Questions about CPV 346

What does the CPV code 34600000 mean?

CPV code 34600000 designates the group "Railway Locomotives and Rolling Stock" within CPV Division 34. It covers all rail vehicle acquisitions by public bodies – from trams and metro trains through regional multiple units to freight locomotives, specialist maintenance vehicles and rolling stock components.

How do I find tenders with CPV 346?

Tenders with CPV 346 can be searched using the CPV filter on TED (Tenders Electronic Daily). At national level, the German Procurement Portal (DTVP) lists current procurements. BOND aggregates tenders from over 1,000 portals and delivers matching opportunities directly to your company dashboard.

What are the requirements for participating in tenders with CPV 346?

Rail vehicles operating on European networks must comply with the Technical Specifications for Interoperability (TSI), including TSI Accessibility (TSI PRM). National rail authority approval is required. Long-term maintenance concepts and demonstrated experience with comparable public transport fleet deliveries are standard requirements. Details are governed by VgV and UVgO depending on the contract value.