Greater comfort and more attractive offers for regional rail: 57 new trains will serve the Franconia-South Thuringia and Danube-Isar networks

"We requested new vehicles in the tenders for both networks in order to improve passenger comfort, increase capacity and also expand services," says Thomas Prechtl, spokesman for the management of Bayerische Eisenbahngesellschaft, which plans, finances and controls regional and S-Bahn transport in Bavaria. "A special treat are the eight trains specially equipped for use on the Bamberg – Coburg – Erfurt high-speed line, which we planned together with the Free State of Thuringia. Their maximum speed will be 190 kilometres per hour."Hansrüdiger Fritz, CEO Regional Management, DB Regio Bayern: “Attractive trains and service offers for our customers are a prerequisite for generating more uptake of the climate-friendly railway. To achieve this, we are further increasing the quality of mass transit in Bavaria and are winning additional passengers. Together with our partner Siemens Mobility, we are looking forward to launching this impressive fleet of new trains in Bavaria’s rail networks. Our passengers will benefit from improved services in both networks. On the heavily traveled Nuremberg – Bamberg route, for example, the new trains will significantly increase passenger capacity. From 2024 onward, up to 200 more seats will be available on each train.”

Dr. Elmar Zeiler, Head of Mass Transit and Regional Trains at Siemens Mobility: “Only by providing a strong rail sector can we satisfy the growing demand for mobility and at the same time achieve our climate targets. Siemens Mobility is proud that we will be making a significant contribution here with our Desiro HC and Mireo trains in Bavaria and Thuringia. Both trains stand for enhanced passenger comfort and convenience, maximum availability and sustainability, are highly popular with passengers, and have already considerably improved passenger satisfaction on many routes.”

Facts and figures

Franconia-South Thuringia network

Siemens Mobility has been commissioned by DB Regio Bayern to deliver 18 four-car and eight six-car Desiro HC double-decker electric trainsets for the Franconia-South Thuringia network. Passenger service with the four-car Desiro HC is scheduled to begin in December 2023. The trains will be used on the lines RE 20 Nuremberg – Bamberg – Würzburg, RE 42 Nuremberg – Bamberg – Lichtenfels – Saalfeld, RE 49 Nuremberg – Bamberg – Lichtenfels – Coburg – Sonneberg, and RB 25 Bamberg – Kronach.

The six-car Desiro HC trains will operate as of June 2024 on the line RE 19 Nuremberg – Bamberg – Coburg – Erfurt/Sonneberg. Since that route uses the high-speed Berlin – Munich line, the trains must meet special technical requirements and, for example, will be equipped with the most modern ETCS (European Train Control System) technology. Moreover, the trains will be pressure-tight to operate at high speeds in tunnels along the route. With a top speed of 190 kilometers per hour, they are among the fastest regional trains in Germany. 

For the Franconia-South Thuringia network, the BEG – which plans, finances and controls rapid transit transport in Bavaria – together with the State of Thuringia, specified that the new trains be barrier-free, air conditioned, and have high passenger capacities. The double-decker trains from Siemens Mobility are air conditioned, provide power sockets at each seat, and feature improved passenger comfort. The six-car trains have 634 seats, while the four-car trains can also operate in coupled units on busy sections, thus providing up to 760 seats. As of December 2023, passengers can look forward to an improvement in scheduling: Existing gaps in the current timetable will be closed and service intervals in part reduced. This applies in particular to the heavily used Nuremberg – Erlangen – Bamberg route. In the future, regional trains will run on this line at half-hour intervals throughout the day. The regional express line Nuremberg – Bamberg – Coburg – Sonneberg via the new Ebensfeld – Erfurt line will also operate twice as often: the Coburg region will be connected to Bamberg, Erlangen and Nuremberg every hour. 

Danube-Isar network
In December 2024, the new Desiro HC and Mireo trains will also be inaugurated in the Danube-Isar network. The Desiro HC trains are designated for use on the line RE 3 Munich – Landshut– Plattling – Passau and on the line RB 33 (Munich) – Freising – Moosburg – Landshut until the opening of the second main S-Bahn line through Munich. The Mireo trains will be used on the line RE 22 Munich Airport Terminal – Landshut– Regensburg. Following the opening of the second main S-Bahn line in Munich, the RB 33 trains will be used to increase the frequency of service between Munich and Regensburg or Plattling during rush hours. The four-car Desiro-HC-trains have 360 seats in 2 ^nd class and 20 seats in 1 ^st class. Up to three Desiro HC trains can be coupled for greater flexibility and capacity. The double-decker trains are barrier-free for passengers with limited mobility. At platforms with a standard height of 76 cm, wheelchair users can board and exit the trains without assistance. There is also a doorway lift for wheelchair users to facilitate boarding and exiting at stations with lower platforms. 

The six four-car Mireo trains provide 250 seats in 2 ^nd class and 14 seats in 1 ^st class. Passengers can see all the way through the train, which makes it easy for passengers to move from car to car. For the convenience of passengers with reduced mobility, all trains are equipped with duplex sliding steps fitting different platform heights. There is also a doorway lift for wheelchair users to ease boarding and exiting at stations with lower platforms. A large number of luggage racks provides generous space for passengers to stow their suitcases and other items. Passenger capacities in the Danube-Isar network will also be expanded when the new trains enter service. The Munich – Passau/Munich – Landshut line is one of the most important commuter routes in the greater Munich region. In the future, there will be around 300 more seats per train available here during peak times. 

The double-decker trains for both networks will be equipped with multi-purpose seatless areas equipped with innovative bicycle supports that enable cyclists to transport their bikes comfortably and safely. All 57 trains will also feature high-frequency windowpanes developed by Siemens Mobility that significantly improve cellphone reception, as well as a modern real-time passenger information system. In addition, passengers can look forward to free WiFi service on the trains.