MAN could supply Neoplan Skyliners to Deutsche Bahn from 2027

MAN has taken a leading role in what appears to be another major bus procurement by Deutsche Bahn. For the period after 2027, the German state railway has this time concluded a framework agreement with the Munich-based manufacturer for the supply of double-decker buses fitted with internal combustion engines. The exact number of vehicles and the financial scope of the procurement have not been disclosed, but the structure and the procedure, divided into two separate lots, suggest that this is unlikely to involve just a few individual vehicles. The latest agreement comes barely a year after the record-sized deal under which MAN may supply more than 3,000 rigid and articulated buses for DB’s regional road services by 2032.

The scale of Deutsche Bahn’s bus operations alone justifies framework agreements of this kind with such long time horizons. In 2025, DB Regio Bus provided its services with 11,927 buses, of which 6,564 were part of its own fleet, while a further 5,363 came from the fleets of external contractual partners. The company therefore also relies heavily on subcontractors, while carrying more than half a billion passengers a year across its extensive regional network. At this scale, it is understandable that DB is seeking to secure the option of procuring the vehicles it needs over the longer term.

This type of procurement practice would also be worth considering in Hungary, at MÁV: a few larger-volume, multi-year framework agreements would make it possible to handle recurring vehicle requirements more flexibly, without having to run new procurement processes again and again that take several months and, in some cases, can drag on for as long as a year.

The procurement was carried out through DB’s own bus prequalification system. The essence of this system is that Deutsche Bahn assesses and qualifies potential bus suppliers in advance, and can then invite manufacturers that already hold the appropriate qualification in the relevant vehicle category to bid for specific procurements, without issuing another public call. The framework agreement was divided into two lots: the first specifically covers double-decker buses configured for scheduled route operation, while the second concerns double-decker buses with standard equipment. The latter is presumably closer to the familiar configuration of conventional long-distance coaches. The agreements, covering the delivery period between 2027 and 2030, also include optional service provisions.

Four bids were received for each of the two lots, and DB selected the tender submitted by MAN Truck & Bus Deutschland in both cases, with a proposal based on the Neoplan Skyliner double-decker bus. The actual volume and financial scope of the procurement, however, have not been made public; DB declined to disclose the latter, citing business and commercial secrets as well as the protection of competition.