Siemens’ 18 Desiro HC Double-Decker Trains Enter Service

18 Desiro HC double-decker trains enter service in Franconia and southern Thuringia in December. They include 10,000 more seats per day and cutting-edge technology and will be running at 30 minute service intervals between Nuremberg and Bamberg. Eight more trains are coming June 2024.

When the timetable changes in December 2023, 18 new Desiro HC double-decker trains fromSiemens Mobilitywill inaugurate service for the Franconia-Thuringia Express. With a top speed of 160 km/h, 380 seats, spaces for 36 bicycles, WiFi service, high-frequency windowpanes that significantly improve cellphone reception, as well as an electronic passenger information system with 27 monitors, the new Franconia-Thuringia Express operated byDB Regio Bayernoffers a new experience for its passengers.

“Siemens Mobilityis proud that our Desiro HC double-decker trains will be making a significant contribution to strengthening rail and driving the mobility transition in our home region of Franconia and Thuringia,” Dr. Elmar Zeiler, Head of Commuter and Regional Trains atSiemens Mobility说。“证明n Desiro HC trains are especially powerful and comfortable and are highly popular with passengers.”

DB Regio BayernandBayerische Eisenbahngesellschaft (BEG), which plans, finances and controls regional and S-Bahn transport on behalf of the state of Bavaria, presented the new train today together withSiemens Mobilityat the Bamberg main station, followed by a press tour through Franconia. Bavaria and Thuringia are investing a total of €320 million in the new train fleet to expand regional transport capacities.

“Passengers on the Franconia-Thuringia Express can look forward not only to more comfortable new trains, but also to a big improvement in service: On most of the lines, the regional trains will run more frequently than at present,” Bärbel Fuchs, Managing Director ofBEG说。“For example, we have ordered and financed 20% more regional express trains in order to provide daily half-hour service between Bamberg, Erlangen, and Nuremberg when the new timetable takes effect.”

The new, red Desiro HC will begin service for the Franconia-Thuringia Express in two stages: In December 2023, 18 new four-car trains will start operating on four routes in Franconia and southern Thuringia. The second stage will follow in June 2024, when eight new six-car Desiro HC trains, specially designed for a top speed of 190 km/h and fitted with 634 seats, start running on the VDE 8.1 (German Unity Transport Project Number 8) high-speed line in the direction of Erfurt. They will be among the fastest regional trains operating in Germany. This has optimised passenger access to train cars for serving the region’s busiest stations with a platform height of 0.76 meters.

“Passengers will benefit from greater comfort and convenience, such as WiFi service and highly dependable cell phone reception,” Hansrüdiger Fritz, CEODB Regio BayernRegional Management, said. “We are delighted to be working together with the states of Bavaria and Thuringia as well asSiemens Mobilityon the further modernisation of our train fleet, and excited that we will be operating even faster trains beginning in June 2024.”

是建设工作仍将发生en Bamberg and Nuremberg from 10th to 16th December, and buses will replace the trains. During this period, the new trains will not operate on this section of the route, but only on the remaining sections served by the Franconia-Thuringia Express.