Franconia-Thuringia Express, which is operated by DB Regio Bayern, will introduce 18 new Desiro HC double-decker trains when the timetable changes in December 2023.
DB Regio Bayern and Bayerische Eisenbahngesellschaft (BEG), which plans, finances and controls regional and S-Bahn transport on behalf of the state of Bavaria, presented the new train on October 19, 2023, together with Siemens Mobility at the Bamberg main station, followed by a press tour through Franconia. The states of Bavaria and Thuringia are investing a total of EUR 320 million in the new train fleet to expand regional transport capacities.
“Passengers on the Franconia-Thuringia Express can look forward not only to more comfortable new trains, but also to a big improvement in service: on most of the lines, the regional trains will run more frequently than at present,” Bärbel Fuchs, Managing Director of BEG said.
With a top speed of 160 km/h, 380 seats, spaces for 36 bicycles, WiFi service, high-frequency windowpanes that significantly improve cellphone reception, as well as an electronic passenger information system with 27 monitors, the new Franconia-Thuringia Express. The trains will provide over 10,000 additional seats on this route.
The new Desiro HC will begin service for the Franconia-Thuringia Express in two stages. In December 2023, 18 new four-car trains will start operating on four routes in Franconia and southern Thuringia.
The new trains will operate on many routes in the future, such as between Nuremberg and Bamberg daily every 30 minutes in both directions.
BEG “ordered and financed 20 percent more regional express trains provide daily half-hour service between Bamberg, Erlangen, and Nuremberg when the new timetable takes effect. And two trains will run every hour between Bamberg and Kronach in the future, providing half-hourly connections for most stations on this route as well,” Bärbel Fuchs explained.
The second stage will follow in June 2024, when eight new six-car Desiro HC trains, specially designed for a top speed of 190 km/h and fitted with 634 seats, start running on the VDE 8.1 (German Unity Transport Project Number 8) high-speed line in the direction of Erfurt.
From June 2024, the new trains will provide services connecting Coburg with Bamberg and Nuremberg on an hourly basis using the new high-speed line and will also operate on the routes between Franconia and Erfurt five times a day.
They will be among the fastest regional trains operating in Germany. Passenger access to train cars has been optimised for serving the region’s busiest stations with a platform height of 0.76 metres.
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