The government also announced investments totalling €450m in new and existing rolling stock as well as the refurbishment of depots.
At the centre of this is the award of a €327m contract to Bombardier to supply 60 three-car emus, including four dual-voltage vehicles which can be operated on both the city's 1.2kV dc S-Bahn network and lines to suburban areas which are electrified at 15kV 16.7Hz. As a result S-Bahn Hamburg will be able to offer direct trains to the city centre from Hamburg's suburbs for the first time, operating at a maximum speed of 100km/h on the S-Bahn network and 140km/h on main line infrastructure.
The first eight vehicles will be handed over to S-Bahn Hamburg by the end of 2016 for a 40-week testing period and will be transferred upon successful completion. Delivery of the remaining 52 vehicles will then commence until completion in the fourth quarter of 2018. The contract includes an option for the supply of up to 86 additional vehicles depending on demand and the completion of proposed extension projects.
The emus will be manufactured at Bombardier's Hennigsdorf plant while bogies will be manufactured at its site in Siegen. The vehicles will utilise air conditioning and an energy saving heat pump which uses waste energy from the vehicles' traction system to heat passenger areas.
In addition to the new trains, the network's existing 112 series trains will be fitted with new passenger information systems and 474 inter-car gangways. The Hamburg senate also stipulated that if DB Regio does not secure a further contract extension in 2033 it will transfer ownership of the emus to the winning bidder.
