Siemens Mobility has won a €300m ($328m) contract to supply 28 regional train units to the German state of Baden-Württemberg.
The German rolling stock manufacturer said it will provide the three-car electric train units on an “accelerated programme” with delivery slated for 2025.
The contract with the State Institute for Rail Vehicles Baden-Württemberg (SFBW) includes a ten-year maintenance contract with an option for extending it by a further 20 years.
It also forms part of the “Digital Node Stuttgart” (DKS) pilot project of “Digital Rail Germany” (DSD). The DSD project requires certain technological tools onboard the trains that use its route, including the European Train Control System (ECTS) and onboard units enabling Level 2 Automated Train Operation (ATO).
The units will be fitted with a Train Integrity Monitoring System, as well as the Future Railway Mobile Communication System – a first for Siemens Mobility trains in Germany. This equipment allows for more tightly scheduled, energy-saving operations through digitally predictive signalling and driving instructions, Siemens explained.
ETCS is a Europe-wide tech system devised to improve efficiency and safety for cross-border rail. It is designed to continuously calculate the safe maximum speed depending on the track conditions, with in-cab signalling for the driver and onboard systems that take over control if the set speed is exceeded.
The mountainous southern part of the German region should not cause issues for the Mireo trains, which have been designed with steep grades in mind, and will be manufactured with the intention of gaining approval for use in Austria.
Baden-Württemberg transport minister Berthold Friess said: “Baden-Württemberg is continuing to be a trailblazer in the digitisation of railways. Over the next ten years, the 28 ordered Mireo regional trains will primarily serve to keep passenger operations in the state as convenient and comfortable as possible while the existing fleet is being retrofitted with DSD technology.”
Siemens Mobility rolling stock CEO Albrecht Neumann highlighted Mireo’s “cost-effectiveness” and reliability.
Neumann said: “The Mireo will give the state of Baden-Württemberg a state-of-the-art train that provides impressive cost-effectiveness in operation and a high level of comfort and convenience for passengers. The long-term maintenance contract, which includes digital services based on Railigent X, also ensures reliable operation and high availability of the trains.”
