MÁV-START Prepares New IC+ Driving Trailers

Less than ten years ago, MÁV-START began to renew its fleet of long-distance passenger cars, for which it is gradually acquiring single-deck carriages, designated IC+ and intended for locomotive-hauled trains. These are built in the MÁV Szolnok works, have a length over buffers of 26.4 m, a top speed of 200 km/h and use Siemens’s Type SF400MAV bogies with secondary air suspension. 92 of them have been ordered so far.

Their history began with the construction of two Class Bpmz prototypes in 2014 - 15, followed by the batch production starting in 2017. The first batch, ordered in March 2016, is intended for international services and included 20 cars. Of these, 10 are of the Class Bpmz with 80 seats and 10 of the Class Bbdpmz with 47 seats, space for three wheelchairs, two five-seat boxes and a multifunctional compartment for eight bicycles and a toilet for immobile passengers (the first of the Bbdpmz cars was exhibited at InnoTrans 2018).

The second batch was ordered in October 2017, comprises 70 cars designed for domestic services and its production started in November 2018. The first half of the contract includes 35 multifunctional Class Bbdpmz cars with 52 seats, two five-seat boxes, space for two wheelchairs, eight bicycles and a toilet for immobile passengers. The first Bbdpmz entered passenger service in February 2020 and the last one rolled out of Szolnok in June 2021.

Then production of a second half of 35 cars, of Class ARmz, with a bistro, two quiet and two premium compartments started in parallel. The first of these first class cars was completed in April 2021 and is currently undergoing trials and is expected to start passenger service in July 2021. An order for a further 40 second class Bpmz cars is expected to be awarded soon, which are envisaged to be manufactured after the production of 70 cars for domestic use.

And in May this year, plans were also announced for the procurement of IC+ Class Bpfmz driving trailers to be destined both for domestic and international services. Their production will begin with two prototypes, the first of which may be completed in 2024. Following the completion of trials, the prototypes are expected to be followed by a batch of 60 driving trailers.

MÁV-START is also counting for routes such as Budapest-Keleti - Hamburg, the operator states that the negotiations about international workings are now in progress. In the case of DB, this also applies to the fact that IC+ cars have a maximum speed of 200 km/h, but the Berlin - Hamburg section allows up to 230 km/h, so for example ČD is required to run its trains at the latter maximum speed, which is also used by DB’s ICE-T EMUs.

About the future operation, DB stated: "We plan to use trains with a maximum speed of 230 km/h on the existing EC services in 2026 after the completion of the Berlin - Dresden line. To this end, we are in exchange with our partner railways, which are providing the rolling stock for this. We cannot comment on further details at this time."