Siemens Mobility, on behalf of Alpha Trains, has converted the regional multiple units currently leased to ODEG (Ostdeutsche Eisenbahn GmbH) from three- to four – car trainsets.
With this upgrade, Siemens has completed the approval process to enlarge the capacity with Alpha Trains Desiro ML trains for the first time at European level.
“We welcome the longer regional trains and now we can offer our passengers across the Hanseatic cities of Rostock, Stralsund and the island of Rügen 68 additional seats and a 1st class area. Extending the trains to a four-car system is especially beneficial for the popular tourist route to Rügen,” said Berthold Witting, the Managing Director of VMV-Verkehrsgesellschaft Mecklenburg-Vorpommern mbH.
According to the specifications of the EU’s Fourth Railway Package, an expansion from three to four-unit trains needs to be approved by the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) with the involvement of the national supervisory authorities.
The plan to expand the capacity of the regional train units is made possible by the flexible single-car concept of the Desiro ML platform, which makes it possible to insert an additional unit. The optimal use of the entire length of the train for seating means that over 90 per cent of the vehicle is available to passengers.
“As the original launch customer for the Siemens Desiro ML series, we are particularly proud to be pioneers in the expansion of these trains as well. The combination of our know-how and a wealth of experience enabled us to offer a fast, flexible solution that will add to the satisfaction of customers and passengers alike. With this move we hope to make rail travel more attractive than ever as a sustainable and therefore future proof means of transport,” Shaun Mills, CEO of the Alpha Trains Group said.
At the end of 2018, Alpha Trains ordered 7 three-unit regional trains of the Desiro Mainline (ML) series from Siemens Mobility, including subsequent expansion by adding a fourth unit. Ostdeutsche Eisenbahn is leasing the vehicles for use in its “Baltic Sea Coast-East network part II”, which it has been operating on behalf of Verkehrsgesellschaft Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (VMV) mbH since December 2019.
The trains were originally supplied as three-unit versions and are currently deployed on the RE9 (Rostock–Stralsund–Binz/Sassnitz) and RE10 (Rostock–Stralsund–Züssow) routes.
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