Siemens on track with train order

The Supervisory Board of Austrian State Railways (ÖBB) has authorized the company's executive board to call up the first 100 regional Desiro ML-type trainsets from a master agreement with Siemens.

The 550 million euro ($715 million) contract is set to be signed after expiration of the stand-still period stipulated under public procurement law.

Siemens was awarded the contract in April, 2010 after one of the largest pan-European invitations to tender for electric regional trains. The three-unit electric trainsets are to be delivered from the end of 2015 onwards. Final production of the trains is to take place at the ÖBB plant in German’s Jedlersdorf. The bogies will come from the Siemens plant in Graz.

Thirty trains are destined for service with the S-Bahn in the Austrian capital Vienna and Lower Austria, and 70 for regional rail services in Upper Austria and in Styria.

"We have once again won out in a tendering procedure with our Desiro platform. This shows that our vehicle is not only optimally designed for urban short-haul traffic, but also meets all the requirements of regional operations," said Jochen Eickholt, chief executive officer of the Siemens Rail Systems Division.

Desiro ML-type trainsets are flexible and proven vehicles, which thanks to their conception as single-car trains, can be specifically adapted to the passenger volumes concerned. With their improved drive systems, with which it has been possible to achieve further reductions in energy compared with predecessor models, they are especially environmentally friendly. The design of the trains too makes use of ecologically sound materials, for example in the paint finish and internal fittings.

ÖBB is opting for a basic vehicle of the Desiro ML type, comprising a three-car multiple unit. The S-Bahn trains feature 244 seats, while the regional trainsets boast 259 seats. The Desiro trains can attain a top speed of 160 kilometers per hour.