DB Regio orders 39 multiple-unit regional trains from Siemens

• First order for 24 articulated trains based on the new Mireo platform
• 15 double-decker trainsets from the proven Desiro train family
• Commissioning in the summer of 2020

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.

“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,” said Sabrina Soussan, CEO of Siemens’ high-speed trains, regional trains and locomotives business.

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.

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.

About Siemens

Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a global technology powerhouse that has stood for engineering excellence, innovation, quality, reliability and internationality for more than 165 years. The company is active in more than 200 countries, focusing on the areas of electrification, automation and digitalization. One of the world’s largest producers of energy-efficient, resource-saving technologies, Siemens is a leading supplier of efficient power generation and power transmission solutions and a pioneer in infrastructure solutions as well as automation, drive and software solutions for industry. The company is also a leading provider of medical imaging equipment – such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging systems – and a leader in laboratory diagnostics as well as clinical IT. In fiscal 2016, which ended on September 30, 2016, Siemens generated revenue of €79.6 billion and net income of €5.6 billion. At the end of September 2016, the company had around 351,000 employees worldwide.