A number tenders for contracts to operate regional passenger services have been launched in Germany, including in Bavaria and Thuringia.
Bavaria’s public transport authority Bavarian Railway (BEG) has launched a tender for regional services on the Oberland 2027+ network, which comprises the following lines:
- Munich - Holzkirchen - Schaftlach - Lenggries
- Munich - Holzkirchen - Schaftlach - Tegernsee, and
- Munich - Holzkirchen - Schliersee - Bayerischzell.
The new contract starts on December 13 2026, and will run until December 9 2034. The contract includes options for a series of three one-year extensions until 2037. It also includes options to decrease or increase the number of services or seating capacity, make changes in routing and train operation, add new stations, and change to onboard staffing levels.
BEG requires the services to be operated with 31 leased Coradia Lint DMUs.
The tender will be run as an open competition. Bids must have been submitted before March 1 2024.
North Thuringia network
Three public transport authorities, the Thuringian State Office for Construction and Transport (TLBV), North Hesse Transport Association and Promotion Company and Lower Saxony Transport Company, have also launched a joint tender for regional service on the North Thuringia network.
This comprises the following lines:
- Regional Express RE11 Erfurt - Gotha - Mühlhausen - Göttingen
- Regional line RB52 Erfurt - Bad Langensalza - Leinefelde
- RB53 Gotha - Bad Langensalza
- RE55 Erfurt - Nordhausen, and
- RE56 Erfurt - Nordhausen.
The contract covers an annual volume of 2.4 million train-km, and will run for three years from December 14 2025 without an extension option.
The selection of bidders will principally be made based on the outcome of negotiations, but the tendering authorities retain the right to award the contract based on the original bid without negotiation. Bids must be submitted by November 24.
