ALSTOM has confirmed an order to supply German Rail (DB) subsidiary DB Regio with 18 Coradia Max EMUs for use on regional express services between Hamburg and Rostock and ultimately Lübeck.
DB Regio was announced as the winner of the tender to operate the Ostsee-Alster network for 14 years from December 2027 in November. The contract was awarded by Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg city state. The announcement said that Alstom would supply nine five-car and nine three-car trains to DB Regio to operate the service.
Alstom said on January 18 that the new five-car trains with 462 seats each will offer up to 50% more seating capacity at peak times between Hamburg and Büchen, compared with the locomotive-hauled double-deck push-pull trains that they will replace.
The three-car trains will operate the future extended electric service from Rostock and Schwerin to Lübeck. As well as electrification between Bad Kleinen and Lübeck, this will require the construction of a new connecting curve. The three-car trains will each have 265 seats.
The new fleet will be manufactured at Alstom’s plant in Salzgitter.
Mr Carsten Moll, chairman of DB Regio Northeast describes the Hanse Express service as “one of the region’s most important lifelines for commuters and day trippers.”
“The federal states are investing in state-of-the-art trains in which travellers will benefit from additional passenger information and lounge areas,” he says. “The RE4 Lübeck - Schwerin and RE2 Lübeck - Rostock lines will add more services to Hanse Express.”
“With our new double-deck trains, we are helping DB Regio to expand its passenger services in the states of Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein, and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in a sustainable and modern way,” says Mr Müslüm Yakisan, president of Alstom’s Germany, Austria and Switzerland (DACH) region.
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