© Alpha Trains / Mittelrheinbahn
- Passenger News
- 22. May 2019
- Press Release | Alpha Trains
Press release
Additional trains provide higher capacity for the Mittelrheinbahn
Cologne/Koblenz, May 22, 2019 - Triple-unit trains begin service between Cologne and Remagen with timetable change in December 2020 and new Mireo trains from Siemens
Longer trains will operate on the highly frequented stretch of the Mittelrheinbahn (RB 26) between Cologne and Remagen beginning with the timetable change in December 2020. This change will be possible following an agreement signed by the responsible authorities Zweckverband Nahverkehr Rheinland (NVR), Zweckverband Schienenpersonennahverkehr Rheinland-Pfalz Nord (SPNV-Nord) and Zweckverband Schienenpersonennahverkehr Rheinland-Pfalz Süd (SPNV Süd) with the leasing firm Alpha Trains and rail operator TransRegio Deutsche Regionalbahn (TransRegio) to expand the existing fleet with six new Mireo trains from manufacturer Siemens Mobility.
TransRegio, a subsidiary of the Transdev Group, has been using trains provided by Alpha Trains for the Mittelrheinbahn since December 2008. At present, 17 Desiro Mainline trainsets serve on the Cologne Messe – Deutz – Koblenz – Mainz route. The new Mireo trainsets will be used in the future primarily on the RB 26 stretch of the route between Mainz and Bingen. “As a result, existing trains will be freed up and we’ll be able to serve the highly frequented route between Cologne and Remagen with triple-unit Desiro Mainline trains,” said NVR Managing Director Heiko Sedlaczek. “This is equivalent to a 50-percent capacity increase on this stretch and will be a huge improvement for our passengers.”
“The success of the Mittelrheinbahn is a great incentive for us. We’ll be meeting growing capacity requirements flexibly with additional trains – all in the framework of the current transport contract and without guarantees from the public sector,” noted Thomas Schmidt, Managing Director of the Alpha Trains Passenger Division.
“We’re providing our customer a train in record time. This is possible due to the high flexibility of the Mireo platform. As a scalable articulated train featuring bogies with inside bearings, the Mireo is especially energy efficient. This increases value sustainable over the train’s entire lifecycle,” said Sabrina Soussan, CEO of Siemens Mobility.
The state-of-the-art Mireo regional train features an energy-efficient and environmentally friendly design. The basic car body was developed as a lightweight welded integral aluminum monocoque construction. The train’s improved aerodynamics, energy-efficient components and intelligent on-board network management system reduce the use of resources and lower emissions as well as noise. By relying on specially selected materials, the Mireo has a recycling quota of 95 percent at the end of its service life. Construction of the new trains is scheduled to begin at the end of 2019 at the Siemens Mobility factory in Krefeld, Germany.
Passenger comfort is ensured by generous seat spacing and ergonomically designed seats. The fresh air supply is automatically regulated, depending on passenger volumes in each car, by a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system with CO2 sensors. Separate multipurpose areas provide generous storage space for bicycles and other bulky items. Large displays provide up-to-date passenger information and the trains also offer onboard Internet service as well as CCTV security surveillance systems. The toilets have barrier-free access. To facilitate passenger boarding, all doorways have two overlapping sliding steps that can be extended depending on the platform height.
Press contacts:
Nahverkehr Rheinland GmbH
Benjamin Jeschor
Deputy Press Officer
Tel.: +49 (0)221/ 20808-471
benjamin.jeschor@nvr.de
Alpha Trains Group
Heike Zimmermann
Group PR & Marketing Manager
Tel.: +49 (0)221/ 9140-9063
heike.zimmermann@alphatrains.eu
Trans Regio Deutsche Regionalbahn GmbH
Press Office
Tel.: +49 (0)151/ 126 767 65
presse.trans-regio@transdev.de
Siemens Mobility GmbH
Ellen Schramke
Press Officer
Tel.: +49 (0)30/ 386-22370
ellen.schramke@siemens.com