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- Passenger News
- 21. March 2019
- Press Release | Alpha Trains
Bayerische Oberlandbahn GmbH (BOB)
Alpha Trains‘ FLIRTs remain in Berchtesgadener Land
Cologne, 21 March 2019 - Bayerische Oberlandbahn GmbH (BOB), a subsidiary of Transdev in Bavaria, Germany’s largest private rail and bus operator, uses new and existing trains from Alpha Trains for the Chiemgau-Berchtesgaden concession. The leasing contracts with a term of 15 years for the existing fleet and 14 years for the new electric multiple units have now been signed.
In December 2018, the responsible authority, Bayerische Eisenbahngesellschaft mbH (BEG), announced that Bayerische Oberlandbahn GmbH had won the Europe-wide tender for the Chiemgau-Berchtesgaden network. The start of the operation of the Freilassing - Bad Reichenhall - Berchtesgaden line is planned for December 2021, followed by the route between Traunstein and Ruhpolding scheduled as of December 2022. Transdev follows the Berchtesgadener Land Bahn as the previous operator of the line.
A total of seven three-car regional trains of the Stadler FLIRT type will be leased and deployed: five existing Alpha Trains vehicles, which are already in service with the current operator are being converted and modernised on behalf of the lessor. The two new vehicles are intended for the Traunstein-Ruhpolding line and take account of the increasing number of passengers.
„The re-use of our existing fleet on the Chiemgau-Berchtesgaden route shows that our sustainable concept of utilisation is paying off. We have extensive experience with modernization and refurbishment projects and can ensure that passengers will feel comfortable in our modern and comfortable trains in the future as well. With the newly purchased low-floor EMUs for the route between Traunstein and Ruhpolding, comprehensive barrier-free accessibility will be achieved,” says Thomas Schmidt, Managing Director of Alpha Trains Passenger Division.
“The order in the Chiemgau-Berchtesgaden network ideally enhances our existing transport operations with the modern Meridian-trains between Munich and Salzburg,” says Fabian Amini, Chairman of the Board of Management of Bayerische Oberlandbahn GmbH. „With both the new and the modernised Alpha Trains’ vehicles, we will be able to offer the same contemporary and comfortable travel comfort to our passengers in this network as of 2021, which they are already used to from the Meridian”.