InnoTrans 2022 (30)

In addition to the FLIRTs described in part 28, TfW has also ordered 36 CITYLINK trams-trains from Stadler, manufactured at the València plant (also previously by Vossloh España). The vehicle 398 004 was presented at InnoTrans.

CITYLINKs of the Class 398 are a bidirectional three-section articulated high-floor vehicles (915 mm above TOR) with a length over couplings of 40,070 mm and a bodyshell width of 2,650 mm. They are designed to operate mainly on the 25 kV 50 Hz electrified rail network, but also on non-electrified sections using batteries, and this is the first ever battery-powered version of CITYLINK.

The axle arrangement is Bo' 2' 2' Bo', total traction power is 600 kW, and maximum speed 100 km/h. The bodyshells are made of steel. In the air-conditioned interior there are 126 seats in a combination of predominantly rows heading the same direction with tables on the seatbacks, however some seats are oriented as 2 + 2 bays and some folding seats are situated transversely in six multifunctional areas. In addition, there is space for 252 standing passengers at a density of 4 per m². Each of the vehicle sections has one pair of double-leaf sliding-plug entrance doors, with a separate manually operated door to the driver's cab.

Dynamic testing of the Class 398 is currently underway at the UK's Rail Innovation & Development Centre (RIDC), owned by Network Rail and located at Melton Mowbray, south-east of Nottingham. CITYLINKs are expected to enter passenger service on TfW's network around Cardiff in 2023, using batteries on the 1.7 km long non-electrified Cardiff Bay Branch single track line.