The state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany, and SWEG Südwestdeutsche Landesverkehrs-GmbH, celebrated the commissioning of the four Mireo Plus B battery-hybrid trains operating the Network 8 (Ortenau).
The official start was celebrated by an exclusive inaugural trip from Offenburg to Oberkirch and back, on April 8, 2024 and was accompanied by the Minister of Transport of Baden-Württemberg, Winfried Hermann, the CEO of SWEG, Tobias Harms, the Mayor of Offenburg City, Marco Steffens, the CEO Rolling Stock at Siemens Mobility, Albrecht Neumann, the Managing Director of the Landesanstalt Schienenfahrzeuge Baden-Württemberg, Volker Heepen, and the President of the Freiburg administrative district, Carsten Gabbert.
“With the opening trip we are writing a new chapter in railway history. Thanks to the battery hybrid drive of the Mireo Plus B, trains operating in the Ortenau region as of today are more climate-friendly than those using diesel. Baden-Württemberg is a pioneer with innovative train technology. All trains should be climate-friendly. We are relying on alternative, climate-friendly solutions wherever there are still no overhead power lines,” the Minister of Transport of Baden-Württemberg said.
The hybrid trains are initially used on the rail routes from Offenburg to Bad Griesbach and from Offenburg to Hornberg, replacing the Regio Shuttle RS1 diesel trains. An expansion of traffic to the other routes in the network is planned gradually. In preparation for operation with the Siemens vehicles, the timetable was adjusted in mid-December 2023. Since then, for example, trains in the Kinzig Valley from Offenburg via Hausach to Hornberg have been running without having to change trains. Since then, passengers from or towards Freudenstadt have mostly had to change in Hausach. Mireo Plus B battery-hybrid trains can only approach Freudenstadt station on a regular schedule if an additional switch connection has been installed there. As a result of the timetable change in December 2023, passenger service has been improved by closing previous gaps in the schedule. Trains now operate at least on an hourly basis on all routes from early morning to evening
“SWEG not only stands for quality, but also for innovation. We are especially pleased to now be able to make these innovative trains available to our passengers and will be demonstrating our role as a reliable partner to both the state of Baden-Württemberg and Siemens Mobility,” SWEG CEO Tobias Harms said.
Powered by green electricity, the Mireo Plus B battery-electric multiple-unit trains produce no emissions and are extremely quiet. Thanks to their battery hybrid drive, they can be used on routes with and without overhead power lines. In the future, when they operate throughout the entire network and replace the diesel-powered Regio Shuttle, they will slash consumption of diesel by around 1.8 million liters per year. In battery operation and under real conditions, the Mireo Plus B has a range of up to 120 kilometers. Its batteries can be recharged from the overhead line and with braking energy. The battery system, installed beneath the car floor, includes two battery containers holding lithium-ion batteries with a long service life. The trainsets have 120 seats and are equipped with a toilet, air conditioning and spacious special use areas.
In 2020, Baden-Württemberg’s State Agency for Rail Vehicles, SFBW, ordered 27 Mireo Plus B two-car, battery trainsets from Siemens Mobility which will be serviced and maintained by Siemens Mobility for SWEG for about 30 years in the newly built rail maintenance depot in Offenburg that opened in June 2023.
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