Skoda Supplies Rolling Stock for DB

By the end of 2016, railway vehicles, made by the Czech manufacturer Škoda Transportation, will be operating on Bavarian railway routes between the cities of Nuremberg – Ingolstadt – Munich. Škoda Transportation will deliver 6 high-capacity train sets including 6 locomotives (109 E) to the German operator DB Regio. This locomotive has been recently awarded as the second in the world the European TSI High Speed RST certificate for 200 km/hour. The total value of the order is exceeding EUR 100 million.

The Bavarian Railway Company (Bayerische Eisenbahngesellschaft – BEG) put the operation of railway routes between Nuremberg – Ingolstadt – Munich out to tender in 2012. DB Regio (a subsidiary company of Deutsche Bahn, a national German transportation company) joined the tender. The tender held the condition that any party interested in operating the railway routes must be present, along with an offer of a design for the modern high-capacity railway vehicles which it will use. The DB Regio company therefore put out a tender on vehicles, the speed of 190 km/hour, and this tender was won by Škoda Transportation. DB Regio subsequently won the tender for operating the routes of the Bavarian Railway Company with these trains.

‘The fact that DB Regio decided to purchase our railway vehicles proves their high quality. Germany is one of the most demanding markets in the world, especially from the point of view of a strong domestic competition,’ says Tomáš Krsek, chairman of the board of Škoda Transportation.

Škoda Transportation will deliver 6 six-vehicle two-floor train sets – each of which will comprise of 1 driving trailer, 5 intermediate coaches and a locomotive 109 E – to DB Regio. These vehicles will be manufactured for the designed speed of 200 km/hour. The units will also have a pressure-tight bodyshell, which stabilizes the pressure inside the car when passing rail vehicles on high-speed lines, especially in tunnels and thus significantly increases the comfort of the passengers.The entire group of Škoda Transportation will take part in the development and manufacturing of these vehicles. The two-floor coaches will be manufactured in the subsidiary Škoda Vagonka in Ostrava. The complete electric equipment will be supplied by the subsidiary Škoda Electric in Plzeň.

‘It is worth emphasizing that the German customer is very precise and he knows exactly what he requires from the manufacturer. We offered two-floor coaches of a new generation which fully meets with western European standards to DB Regio. We consider it a key reference today that we will deliver railway vehicles for the extremely demanding German market. At the same time, this contract gives us a major opportunity to also introduce other Czech vehicles onto the railway tracks in Germany and other western European states in the near future,’ says Zdeněk Majer, sales vice-president of Škoda Transportation.

From a technological point of view, it is to be a modern product with cutting-edge equipment. It is interesting that the vehicles are designed for the speed of 200 km/hour while the customer required only approval for a speed of 190 km/hour. The trains will also be fitted with barrier-free access to the height of 760 mm which was one of the most important requirements of the Bavarian Railway Company. The train will have 679 seats in second class and 26 seats in first class. 82 folding seats, 2 seats for passengers with reduced mobility and a multi-function area for up to 37 bicycles was also required. Each train will be equipped with an external and internal CCTV system.

In the last few years,the Škoda Transportation group has concluded several significant export contracts. Recently it signed a contract with the Chinese company, CSR Sifang Quingdao, to provide a licence for technology to produce low-floor trams of the ForCity (15T) type. Škoda Transportation will provide a 10-year licence for the production of up to 400 carriages in the framework of the contract. The total value of the order could reach up to 5 billion Czech crowns.

Source & Photo : Skoda