Baden-Württemberg directed the state-owned Ortenau rolling stock leasing company SFBW to procure new emission-free trains as an alternative to conventional diesel trains for the network that could operate with or without catenary.
Siemens will also provide maintenance for 29.5 years, while the operation of the network is due to be tendered separately.
“As we are breaking new ground technically with the use of innovative and emission-free trains, we also wanted to ensure that the vehicle manufacturers are responsible for the entire lifetime of the vehicles,” says transport minister, Mr Winfried Hermann. “Manufacturers need to ensure that their vehicles are always available on a daily basis, and there are serious penalties if they do not comply.”
Siemens will also have to meet certain energy consumption and cost targets during the duration of the contract.
Ortenau Network 8 covers around 2 million train-km a year on the following routes:
- Offenburg - Freudenstadt/Hornberg
- Offenburg - Bad Griesbach
- Offenburg - Achern
- Achern – Ottenhöfen, and
- Biberach (Baden) - Oberharmersbach-Riersbach.
The trains are expected to enter service in June 2023.
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