The S-Bahn in Cologne is entering a new era.
Just this July, Alstom was awarded the contract to supply and maintain 90 new trains for Cologne’s S-Bahn network. These are touted to start carrying passengers towards the end of this decade.
But in addition to that, the existing fleet has been undergoing a modernisation process. And the first of the overhauled vehicles entered passenger service in May this year. In total, 24 trains of the ET 424 series will enter passenger service in Cologne by the end of 2025 (the ‘ET’ stands for ‘Elektro-Triebwagen’, i.e. ‘EMU’).
These modernised trains have won a special mention at the German Design Awards 2024 for ‘Excellent Product Design Aviation, Maritime and Railway’. The design agency that worked on this project was neomind GmbH.
Originally built by Adtranz/Bombardier and Siemens in 1999/2000, the modernised trains now have USB sockets and Wi-Fi, large passenger information displays and more room for bicycles, pushchairs and wheelchairs. In fact, the multi-purpose carriage has space for up to 18 bicycles.
The styling of the floor has also changed. The central walkways stand out with a lighter grey colouring, while the flooring of the seating areas is dark grey.
The ET 424 series isn’t the only one to be modernised. Over the coming years the ET 422 and ET 423 series will undergo the same modernisation process modelled on the ET 424 project. In total, 350 million euros is being invested in overhauling these three series.
