Smart Train Lease GmbH has has received an order for the short-term provision of three modern Mireo Smart trains, as well as an eight-year maintenance contract, from Trans Regio Deutsche Regionalbahn GmbH.
The vehicle provision contract was signed on 19 August, and will see the first units delivered beginning on 1 October, with the new RB 32 line commencing operations on 14 December.
Benjamin Dobernecker, Managing Director of Smart Train Lease GmbH, said:With the new, intelligent leasing concept and the rapid provision of Mireo Smart trains for the RB 32, Smart Train Lease demonstrates how modern, energy-efficient mobility can be flexible and demand-driven deployed in local transport – an important impulse for the Ahr Valley and a sign that both politics and industry are setting the right priorities.
The new units, which have already been manufactured, tout a top speed of up to 160 km/h with a capacity to carry up to 214 seated passengers, including 12 in a separate first class section.
Each train is capable of carrying up to 21 bicycles and features onboard internet (WLAN), as well as a number of power outlets and USB charging ports.
Henrik Behrens, Managing Director of Trans Regio GmbH, said:We are very pleased that we can contribute to the revitalization of the Ahr Valley after the terrible flood disaster exactly four years ago.
We hope that everything goes according to plan and that by the timetable change in December 2025, the newly rebuilt and then electrified railway line by DB InfraGo will be available for passengers and our modern trains. The new order is also a great success for us, as it is the first time in many years that we are expanding Trans Regio's services in Rhineland-Palatinate and can operate an additional line. In addition to new vehicles, around 20 train drivers will be needed for the new services. Trans Regio offers secure jobs in the region. To this end, Trans Regio trains train drivers and is looking for interested candidates for the Remagen depot.
The new RB 32 line is set to operate entirely electrically along the Ahr Valley Railway, with non-stop services running from Ahrbrück via Remagen to Koblenz and Boppard, providing the Ahr Valley with an extra direct connection to the Middle Rhine axis. The Ahr Valley Railway is currently being rebuilt, and is set to be electrified in the near future.
Underscoring the strategic partnership between Siemens Mobility and Transdev, the order also marks the first expansion of an existing Mireo fleet utilising the Smart Train Lease model, with the trains set to be integrated into Trans Regio’s existing workshop infrastructure in Koblenz.
