EUROPE: The EU Agency for Railways announced on November 24 that it had authorised an initial batch of Siemens Mobility-built coaches for use on ÖBB’s Nightjet trains in Germany, Italy, Austria and Switzerland.
Describing the Vehicle Authorisation as ‘a significant milestone’, ERA said the trains represented ‘the first new design’ of sleeping cars in Europe, offering ‘a long-awaited departure from decades of stagnation’ in overnight train development.
The authorisation covers 10 vehicle types, which will be operated by ÖBB in both day and overnight configuration. It permits operation of the different vehicle types in all four countries, with each one authorised as individual vehicles within predefined train formations.
ÖBB ordered an initial 13 seven-car Nightjet sets from Siemens Mobility in August 2018 and a further 20 in August 2021, taking the total contract value to more than €700m. Siemens Mobility is expected to deliver five rakes for use on the Wien – Hamburg and Innsbruck – Hamburg routes from the December 10 timetable change.
‘The new wave of night trains has great potential to become a key player in the future multi-modal transport reality’, said ERA Executive Director Josef Doppelbauer.
‘The authorisation signed today demonstrates that demand for long-distance cross-border passenger rail, including night trains, is growing fast, and that such services can be operated in a commercially viable open access manner. We are pleased that ERA is contributing to this transformation, supporting the railway sector to be agile and competitive, while advancing in creating a functional Single European Railway Area.’
