The Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Transport awarded Alstom a EUR 2.5 billion contract for the supply of 130 Coradia Stream HC double-deck trains with an option for up to 100 additional trains. This is the largest train order for Alstom in Germany to date.
In addition, Alstom has been contracted to provide full-service maintenance for a period of 30 years to ensure the trains’ seamless availability.
The new trains, able to run at a top speed of 200 km/h will be operated by Landesanstalt Schienenfahrzeuge Baden-Württemberg (SFBW).
The four-car trains consist of two double-deck control cars and two single-deck middle cars, for a total of 380 seats.
The 106m-long trains can operate in multiple traction and are built according to SFBW requirements. Air conditioning, free Wi-Fi, numerous charging options for mobile phones and laptops, as well as reading lamps contribute to a pleasant travel experience.
The trains offer lounge areas, conference and family compartments providing high level of comfort, whereas multi-purpose compartments offer space for large luggage, prams, and bicycles. Wide single-leaf doors and optimised opening and closing times allow for a quick entry and exit. As for passengers with reduced mobility, they can enjoy the luxury of travelling with the same comfort as other passengers. For example, the doorsills of the vehicles allow step-free access from the standard platform with 760 mm above the top of the rails, and for stations with different platform heights, there are special lifts in the car for passengers in wheelchairs.
The Coradia Stream HC double-deck trains are equipped with modern signalling and automation technology in the scope of the Digital Node Stuttgart (DKS) project, Germany’s first digitised railway node.
They will start operation in 2025 at the same time as the first two sections of the DKS. The subsequent upgrading of the vehicles to TSI CCS 2022, the future evolution of the European standard for cross-border traffic in the European Economic Area, will be deployed until mid-2027. This will allow all three sections of the DKS to be used.
The new Coradia Stream HC electric trains will also be equipped with the ETCS level 2 and 3, as well as vehicle devices for Automatic Train Operation (ATO) at Grade of Automation (GoA) 2. This will be the first time in Germany that newly built vehicles will be equipped with a Train Integrity Monitoring System (TIMS) and ETCS Level 3 and, in partial stages, the Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS). This allows tighter, denser and more energy-saving driving through digitally predictive signalling and driving commands. It increases the efficiency and reliability of regional transport, especially on highly frequented lines.
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