The Viaggio coaches will be operated with ÖBB’s current fleet of Siemens Taurus locomotives, with commissioning of the first Railjet and Nightjet trains planned for 2022. The passenger coaches will be manufactured at Siemens’ factory in Vienna. The framework agreement signed on August 17 can also be extended beyond 2023 by ÖBB.

 

The contract covers the delivery of all types of passenger coaches, including cab cars, multi-purpose cars, first and second-class coaches, and sleeping and couchette coaches. The trains will be operated in Austria, Germany, Italy and Switzerland, with an option to equip the coaches for use in Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia.

The basic variant for daytime transport is designed as a low-floor coach with extra-wide doors to facilitate quick boarding and alighting. The nine-car day trains have a seating capacity of 520, while the seven-car night trains offer 100 seats and 160 berths, and both are fully equipped to accommodate passengers with limited mobility.

Siemens says the Viaggio coaches have improved energy efficiency achieved through LED interior lighting, air-conditioning with a heat pump function in both cooling and heating modes, and a fresh air supply regulated by the CO2 content in the interior air.

“With the new trains for day and night service, ÖBB is systematically continuing its campaign to further enhance passenger comfort,” says ÖBB CEO, Mr Andreas Matthä. “With the additional trains for the Nightjet, we’ll be underpinning our leading role in overnight travel in Europe.”

OBB Siemens Viaggio LARGE