A Stadler Flirt3 battery EMU is currently at the Velim testing centre in the Czech Republic, where it is being assessed for certification and compliance with EU Technical Specifications for Interoperability (TSI), including that for noise.

The train is part of an order for 55 two-car EMUs placed with Stadler for €600m in 2019 by NAH.SH, the transport authority of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. The new EMUs are due to enter service at the end of this year.

The Flirt3 EMU can take power from the overhead line and has a maximum speed of 160km/h. In battery mode, it can cover a distance of 150km, while the longest non-electrified route in Schleswig-Holstein is 80km in length.

In operation, the Flirt3 EMUs will be able to recharge batteries at the stations of Kiel, Lübeck, Neumünster, Flensburg and Lüneburg, and while operating on the electrified line between Osterrönfeld and Jübek.

Charging equipment will be installed at further locations pending the electrification of other diesel-worked routes in Schleswig-Holstein.

Stadler Rail will maintain the new fleet under a 30-year contract at two new workshops in Neumünster and Rendsburg.

Each two-car EMU can accommodate 198 passengers, with 124 seats. There are two multi-purpose areas for use by passengers in wheelchairs.

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