Germany's most modern S-Bahn trains for München

On 2 August 2023 it was announced that Siemens Mobility, after winning in a BEG international tender, will deliver 90 new 13-car EMUs worth more than 2 billion EUR for the S-Bahn München network. The contract includes an option for up to 90 additional trains. Financing is guaranteed by Freistaat Bayern (the State of Bavaria) through a leasing model. 

The first trains are scheduled to enter test passenger service at the end of 2028, the delivery of the last train is scheduled for 2032. Their financing was provided to Deutsche Bahn by Bayerische Eisenbahngesellschaft, which selected a lessor, LHI Leasing, based in Pullach near München, and two investors, the European Investment Bank and UniCredit Bank. The  leasing SPVs (special purpose vehicles) set up by the leasing provider will hold ownership of the vehicles. Freistaat Bayern made very favorable financing conditions possible with a capital service guarantee. 

The S-Bahn München network is part of DB Regio and has been serving the city and surrounding region since 1972. With around 1,700 employees, more than 270 trains operate throughout the 444 km network. Daily, around two-thirds of all passengers using Bayern’s local rail transport services run on the S-Bahn München trains. 

DB Regio has been providing transport services for the entire network of the S-Bahn München since December 2020 based on the 1. Münchner S-Bahn-Vertrag (1st Munich S-Bahn contract) concluded with BEG - and is currently covering around 21 million trainkm a year. It is a gross cost contract, meaning that Freistaat Bayern receives the revenue from ticket sales and thus assumes revenue opportunities and risks. DB Regio receives a fixed monthly customer compensation from BEG that covers all operating expenses. 

New Siemens-built EMUs

For the first time in Germany, the S-Bahn trains with a total length of around 202 m will be in use, providing capacity for 1,841 passengers (seating + standing). With the order, Bayern and S-Bahn München are preparing for expected passenger growth in coming decades and for the planned mobility transition.

The 15 kV 16.7 Hz EMUs will have a maximum speed of 160 km/h and a power of 7,800 kW. They will have 28 axles, using the Jakobs bogies (12 ones of 14 in total). The axle arrangement is Bo‘ Bo‘ Bo‘ 2‘ 2‘ Bo‘ 2‘ 2‘ Bo‘ 2‘ 2‘ Bo‘ Bo‘ Bo‘. The bodyshell width will be almost 3 m and the train weight 365 t. The traction equipment will include the SiC semiconductors, an innovative drive system (detail of this will be disclosed in a later stage), and an efficient air-cooled main transformer (without oil as a coolant) in combination with intelligent control software. 

There will be 31 entrance doors on each side of the train and 480 seats, with various arrangement: 
- two family and group areas at each end of the train,
- 80 folding seats in the multipurpose areas,
- 376 seats in classic 2-, 3-, and 4-seat arrangements 

The interior LED lighting will vary depending on the time of day. Classic three-and four-seat arrangements will offer more legroom than the trains currently in service. The cars with more powerful HVAC, capable of handling ambient temperatures ranging from -25 to +45 °C, will also have group areas and folding seats. Greater passenger convenience will be provided by free WiFi, improved mobile phone reception with special windows, USB and power sockets, and generous storage racks.

The passenger information system will be completely new, a total of 166 displays will ensure comprehensive real-time passenger information: 
- 104 displays will be located above the entrance doors, along the ceiling, in the car gangways, and on the rear walls of the two driver’s cabs. Among other things, they provide information about the next station, the course of the journey, current service disruptions, and space for the passenger TV. 
- 62 external displays above the entrance doors will provide information about the line, destination and intermediate stations. Thanks to their high resolution, additional information – such as the train’s current capacity or locked doors – can also be displayed when needed. 
- 4 large displays are to be located on the rear walls of the driver cabs. 

Before passengers exit, the displays will indicate where the closest stairs or elevators are located on the platform. Outside the train, LED strips will show the color of the respective S-Bahn line. The 1,400 mm wide entrance doors (200 mm wider than in present trains) and spacious entry areas will ensure easy and quick boarding and exiting. Depending on the train’s occupancy, the folding seats can be automatically locked in place to provide additional standing room. The solution of the latter will be decided in the course of the project: a solution combined of an automatic system (driven e. g. by the occupancy or GPS) with a manual possibility to override this by the driver is probable.

Five of the 13 cars have large multi-purpose zones, accessed through three doors on the sidewall, that provide sufficient room for bicycles, strollers, luggage, or walkers. Special areas at each end of the train provide space for wheelchairs. To better understand announcements made on the train, passengers with hearing aids can connect to the information system via Bluetooth. 

The new EMUs are designed with a large number of redundant components and will be equipped with the Railigent X system that guarantees maximum train availability. Railigent X is part of the open, digital Siemens Xcelerator business platform, which enables customers to achieve a simpler, faster, and readily scalable digital transformation. Moreover, software updates for the trains no longer have to be manually installed in the depot, which is time-consuming, but are transmitted to the trains via a secure online connection as part of the maintenance. 

Siemens Mobility will equip all units with its on-board ETCS, ATO and a Train Integrity Monitoring System (TIMS). The ETCS will be used on the München network, which DB plans to digitalize beginning in 2030.