SBB has moved its international high-speed train plan towards purchasing vehicles rather than leasing them. In a 24 September 2026 update to a page first published in March 2025, the Swiss operator described plans for 21 trains and a tender in the first half of 2027.
The company says its assessments found that purchasing could fit within long-term investment planning and would be more economical over the vehicles' working lives. Those are SBB's stated conclusions about its procurement strategy, rather than a comparison independently established by this report.
The plan also includes options for a further 20 vehicles. An option preserves the possibility of a later addition; it should not be counted as a completed purchase. The announced core number and the possible expansion therefore describe different commitments.
SBB said it would terminate the prequalification process for leasing providers and publish that change on the SIMAP procurement platform on 25 September. The newer update supersedes earlier sections of the same page that discussed pursuing an operating lease.
The operator linked the decision with growing international demand, reporting more than six million cross-border passengers in the first half of 2026, up 1.3 per cent from a year earlier. It says ownership would give it more flexibility in working with partner railways.
For passengers, this is a long-term fleet decision rather than a new service ready to book. The next concrete stage is the tender, followed by the details that emerge from procurement. The September update does not establish a selected manufacturer, delivery timetable or opening date for a particular route.