The Baden-Württemberg SFBW ordered from Siemens Mobility 20 Mireo Plus B battery-powered trains which will be delivered by June 2023 and in December 2023 are scheduled to enter operation. The contract also includes the provision of maintenance services for 29.5 years.
The two-car electric trainsets can operate on rail routes with or without overhead power lines thanks to their battery hybrid drive.
“This marks the first-time battery-powered trains will be used in the state. With this innovative technology, the electrification of rail routes without continuous overhead power lines will also be possible,” State Minister for Transport, Winfried Hermann, said.
The Mireo Plus B trains have a capacity for 120 seats and a range of around 80 km in battery operation under real conditions. The batteries can be charged via the overhead line while operating along electrified sections and by recuperating the train’s braking energy. The battery system is mounted underfloor and is installed in two battery containers. Lithium-ion batteries with a long service life are used in the system.
The trains will be built at the Siemens Mobility factory in Krefeld, Germany. The KfW IPEX Bank is financing the trains for Nahverkehrsgesellschaft Baden-Württemberg (NVBW), the state’s public transport authority. The financing of EUR 77 million has a term of 28 years.
“With this order, the state of Baden-Württemberg is investing in the future of mobility. Our battery-powered train Mireo Plus B makes climate-friendly, locally emission-free passenger transport possible, thus offering a sustainable alternative to the use of diesel-powered trains on non-electrified rail routes. We will guarantee the availability of the fleet with our maintenance of the trains over their entire lifecycle,” said Sabrina Soussan, CEO of Siemens Mobility.
The new trains will operate in Network 8 of the Ortenau regional system, which comprises five railway routes and serving an annual volume of around two million train-kilometers.
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