GERMANY: Transport authority ZVNL has awarded DB Regio and Die Länderbahn contracts to operate Mitteldeutschen S-Bahn services centred on Leipzig, which it said form one of the largest and most complex tendered networks in Germany.
The two contracts running for 12 years from December 13 2026 were awarded under the MDSB2025plus tendering procedure, which had been revised when initial bids came in significantly higher than expected.
Lot 1 was awarded to DB Regio and covers three services totalling 3 million train-km/year:
- S4 Torgau – City-Tunnel Leipzig – Wurzen – Riesa;
- S6 Leipzig-Stötteritz – City-Tunnel Leipzig – Markranstädt – Naumburg;
- S10 Leipzig Hbf – Schkeuditz.
The Land of Sachsen-Anhalt has commissioned the procurement of two additional trainsets which will enable S6 to alternate between serving Merseburg and Naumburg.
Lot 2 was awarded to Netinera subsidiary Die Länderbahn and covers around 6 million train-km/year:
- S3 Halle-Nietleben – Schkeuditz – City-Tunnel Leipzig – Borna – Geithain;
- S5 Halle-Trotha – Leipzig/Halle Airport – City-Tunnel Leipzig – Markkleeberg – Altenburg – Gößnitz/Glauchau – Werdau – Zwickau;
- S5x Halle-Trotha – Leipzig/Halle Airport – City-Tunnel Leipzig – Markkleeberg – Altenburg – Werdau – Zwickau/Plauen.
The Lot 2 contract requires the use of new rolling stock with more doors to reduce dwell times by speeding boarding and alighting. Länderbahn is to use three-car Siemens Mobility Mireo multiple-units with 150 seats, with pairs of units to be used on the busiest services.
Trains will have wi-fi, tables at every seat and power sockets throughout
Current employees will be able to transfer to Die Länderbahn under conditions at least equivalent to their existing terms.
‘At Netinera we continue to focus on healthy growth in a highly competitive industry’, said the company’s CEO Fabrizio Favara when the contracts were announced on July 17. ’The German and pan-European markets are becoming increasingly important for us and the entire FS Group to which we belong.’
A separate contract is to be awarded for operation of a future service S1 from Leipzig to Döbeln, which will use battery-electric vehicles.
