GERMANY: Baden-Württemberg’s rolling stock owning body SFBW has ordered three Mireo Plus B battery-electric multiple-units from Siemens Mobility for use on Hermann-Hesse-Bahn services from December 2023.
The BEMUs will use the 15 kV 16·7 Hz overhead electrification for power and to charge their batteries between Renningen and Weil der Stadt, west of Stuttgart, before switching to battery power on the route between Weil der Stadt and Calw, which is to be reopened as part of the Hermann-Hesse-Bahn project.
The batteries will allow 80 km of off-wire running, enabling a return trip on the non-electrified section without recharging.
‘Travelling by train is the green alternative to driving a car’, said Baden-Württemberg’s Transport Minister Winfried Hermann on October 13. ‘That is why the Land has set itself the goal of no longer purchasing new vehicles with pure diesel engines. On the Hermann-Hesse-Bahn we will reach this destination right at the start of rail operations.’
The use of hydrogen power had also been studied, but it was felt that a larger fleet would be needed for this to be viable.
The two-car BEMUs will have 120 seats, with level boarding, an accessible toilet and space for bicycles, wheelchair users and prams. They will be equipped with ETCS Baseline 3 Release 2. Siemens Mobility will be responsible for maintenance throughout their service life, with SFBW providing the trains to the operator.
The order follows on from an order for 20 similar units for Netz 8 Ortenau services which was placed in 2020 with delivery scheduled by December 2023.
