AUSTRIA: Transport Minister Jörg Leichtfried announced on December 15 that national operator ÖBB is to order a further 64 three-car Desiro ML trainsets from Siemens. To be deployed mainly on S-Bahn services in eastern Austria, the trains will be delivered between February 2018 and the end of 2019.
Worth €400m, the contract will allow ÖBB to withdraw all remaining Class 4020 S-Bahn trainsets by 2020. The new trains will join those already in operation on Wien S-Bahn routes S1, S2, S7, S40, S50 and S80. ÖBB will then have 156 Cityjets in its fleet.
Each air-conditioned set with 240 seats will have low-floor access, power sockets, tables, reading lamps and window blinds to ensure high levels of comfort for commuters.
