DB Regio Order Multiple-Unit Regional Trains from Siemens
Beginning in 2020, DB Regio AG will operate its Rhine Valley rail network in southwest Germany exclusively with new trains supplied by Siemens. The mass transit arm of Deutsche Bahn has ordered 39 trainsets specifically for this purpose. The order comprises 15 Desiro HC and 24 Mireo trains. This marks the first order for the company’s new articulated Mireo regional train platform that was recently premiered at Innotrans, the world’s biggest rail trade fair.
Sabrina Soussan, CEO of Siemens’ high-speed trains, regional trains and locomotives business, said:
“Following the product launch, we very quickly succeeded in entering the market with our new Mireo train platform. The Mireo combines economy with sustainability and offers optimal flexibility over its entire lifecycle”
Train service in the Rhine Valley will be restructured. When completed, there will be a clear separation between fast cross-regional trains running between the major cities, and a regional suburban rail system (S-Bahn) with stops at all local stations. At the same time, the number of trains operating in the region will be substantially expanded. The new trains have been ordered to meet these special requirements.
New Trains from Siemens
The Mireo will operate as a regional train (RB) along the Offenburg – Freiburg – Basel/Neuenburg (Switzerland) route as well as in the Kaiserstuhl area on Sundays between Freiburg and Endingen/Breisach. The train is conceived as a scalable articulated train. With the help of its new aerodynamic design and quiet bogies, noise is substantially reduced. The train’s lightweight construction, energy-efficient components and intelligent board network management system reduce energy consumption by 25 percent compared to previous trains. The three-car trains have 220 seats.
The Desiro HC will operate as a regional express on the Karlsruhe – Offenburg – Freiburg – Basel route. Each train will consist of four cars, of which the first and last cars – the end cars – will have a single-deck design and the middle two cars will be double-deckers. Over 50 percent of the interior space is barrier-free, completely without steps in the two single-deck end cars and equipped to meet the needs of mobility-impaired passengers. With the double-decker middle cars, the trains are only 105 meters long yet offer 410 seats and spacious legroom. Both regional train types are designed to have top speeds of 160 km/h.
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