© Alpha Trains / Siemens
- Passenger News
- 11. October 2021
- Press Release | Alpha Trains
Long-term lease contract for MittelrheinBahn signed
Alpha Trains leases 23 EMUs on a long-term basis to Trans Regio
- Use of existing vehicles and additional new trains
- Comprehensive refurbishment & modernisation measures for higher quality and more space
Cologne, 11th October 2021 - On 29.09.2021, Trans Regio Deutsche Regionalbahn GmbH (Trans Regio), a subsidiary of the Transdev Group, and Alpha Trains, the leading rolling stock lessor in Europe, signed a long-term lease contract for 23 EMU trains. The vehicles currently are and will continue to be in service on the MittelrheinBahn concession operated by Trans Regio. In mid-2021, the Transdev subsidiary won the Europe-wide re-tender for this concession. The new contract will start in December 2023 and runs to December 2033 – with several options to be extended until December 2036 and even to June 2037 for some services on the Mainz - Bingen - Koblenz section.
“We are delighted that our long-term partner Trans Regio will continue to operate this line with our reliable trains which will undergo an extensive modernisation and refurbishment programme for that purpose,” states Thomas Schmidt, Managing Director of Alpha Trains Europa GmbH.
17 of the 23 vehicles are Siemens Desiro ML, connecting the cities of Cologne, Koblenz and Mainz on the MittelrheinBahn since 2008. Six new vehicles of type Siemens Mireo have complemented the fleet on the Mainz to Bingen section since December 2020. These additional six vehicles enable a capacity expansion on the busiest section of the MittelrheinBahn line between Cologne and Remagen by converting from double-unit to triple-unit traction during peak times.
The refurbishment and modernisation work required on the existing Desiro ML in accordance with the new concession contract, will be carried out by Siemens Mobility Werkstätten West in Wildenrath. The focus will be on improving quality and enhancing passenger comfort. “Siemens has been a competent and reliable partner in numerous joint projects, and always was able to meet our own requirements and those of our customers”, says Jörg Hagemeyer, Engineering Director of Alpha Trains Passenger Trains′ division.
“We look forward to continuing to work with our long-standing partner Alpha Trains”, states Adam Leitner, Head of Customer Services Germany at Siemens Mobility. “The modernisation & refurbishment programme will enhance passenger comfort, for example through new seating arrangements, new side tables and larger distances between seats. Wifi, additional sockets and dynamic passenger information on TFT monitors will also be provided. Thanks to their modern interior and by refreshing the external livery, the trains will look as good as new both inside and outside.”
Maintenance of the vehicles will continue to be carried out in Trans Regio’s Koblenz-Moselweiß workshop in Koblenz.
About Alpha Trains
Alpha Trains is the leading rolling stock lessor in Europe. 125 employees from 15 countries work in offices in Luxembourg, Antwerp, Cologne, Madrid and Paris. Alpha Trains owns more than 850 locomotives and passenger trains and offers tailor-made leasing solutions, comprehensive know-how in maintenance and vehicle repairs as well as long-term experience in the financing of new build projects. Alpha Trains′ fleets are in use by many public and private operators in 19 European countries. Alpha Trains′ shareholders are APG, Arcus European Trains and PGGM.
Contact
Alpha Trains Group
Heike Zimmermann, Group Head of PR & Marketing
Phone: +49 221 9140 9063
heike.zimmermann@alphatrains.eu
About Siemens Mobility
Siemens Mobility is a separately managed company of Siemens AG. As a leader in transport solutions for more than 160 years, Siemens Mobility is constantly innovating its portfolio in its core areas of rolling stock, rail automation and electrification, turnkey systems, intelligent traffic systems as well as related services. With digitalization, Siemens Mobility is enabling mobility operators worldwide to make infrastructure intelligent, increase value sustainably over the entire lifecycle, enhance passenger experience and guarantee availability. In fiscal year 2020, which ended on September 30, 2020, Siemens Mobility posted revenue of €9.1 billion and had around 38,500 employees worldwide. Further information is available at: www.siemens.com/mobility
Contact Siemens Mobility
Andreas Flórez, Head of Communications
Region North-East Europe
E-Mail: andreas.florez@siemens.com