Austrian Federal Railways (OEBB) has ordered a further 20 seven-car Nightjet trains from Siemens Mobility.
These night trains are based on the Viaggio Next Level platform. By 2025, 33 OEBB Nightjets will be in passenger service, linking a number of European cities with night train services.
“Calling up 20 additional Nightjets is an important step in positioning ÖBB as the market leader in Europe’s night train business. ÖBB is already Europe’s largest night train operator, and with the new state-of-the-art Nightjet fleet, we will further reinforce our position and offer our travelers first-class comfort.”
Siemens Mobility and Austrian Federal Railways signed a framework agreement for the delivery of day and night trains in 2018. The first call from this agreement was for 13 Nightjets. These are currently being built by Siemens Mobility in Vienna. The first trains from this set will run services from Austria and Germany to Italy, starting in December 2022.
This current order is the second call from this framework agreement. These trains are to connect the Austrian cities of Vienna and Innsbruck with Hamburg in Germany and Amsterdam in the Netherlands. They are also to run on the routes from Vienna to Bregenz and Zurich. The new trains will further run services from Graz to Zurich and from Zurich to Hamburg and Amsterdam.
In total, these 33 night trains will operate in five European countries by 2025, replacing much of the current fleet.
“With the new Nightjets, ÖBB is investing in the sustainable future of travel. Night trains provide climate-friendly overnight connections between European cities, make rail journeys more comfortable and attractive, and thus make an important contribution toward achieving climate goals. Innovative mini cabins on the trains offer passengers private space and a high degree of comfort. The special lightweight bogies help ensure a particularly smooth ride and reduced energy consumption over the train’s lifecycle.”
Every seven-car train will consist of two coaches, three couchette cars and two sleeping cars. The couchette cars will feature ‘mini cabins’ to give single passengers a much greater degree of privacy. The cabins in the sleeping cars will all have their own toilet and shower.
Furthermore, every Nightjet will have a multifunctional car with a low-floor entrance, a barrier-free couchette compartment and an accessible toilet.
