€160m rail order

German railway operator DB Regio has placed an order with Alstom worth €160m for 37 Coradia Lirex regional trains. The order includes an option for up to 42 extra trains.

The electric multiple units will be developed and manufactured at Alstom Transport’s site in Salzgitter, Germany, and are planned to be delivered between mid-2008 and the end of 2011.

These trains will enable DB Regio to renew its train fleet on the Augsburg network in Bavaria. They will enter service from December 2008 onwards and serve the Munich-Augsburg-Ulm and the Augsburg-Donauwörth-Aalen/Treuchtlignen lines. Each train will carry more than 450 passengers.

Alstom said in a statement that the trains will be equipped with an energy management system which will reduce the energy consumption of the traction system and the auxiliaries.

The installation of the main traction components on the roof of the cars is a special feature of the Coradia Lirex train which offers many advantages. It can be configured with a continuous low floor facilitating access and movement on board, notably for passengers with impaired mobility.