ÖBB orders first 70 Mireo regional and long-distance trains from 2023 framework agreement with Siemens Mobility

06/02/2024

Author: Mankirat Kaur

Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) has ordered the first 70 trains from the framework agreement won by Siemens Mobility at the end of summer 2023.

The trains will be delivered in three different versions from late 2027 onwards. Designed to operate at speeds up to 160 km/h, the Mireos offer numerous amenities for passengers, including air conditioning, WiFi service, barrier-free access, electrical plugs, racks for skis and snowboards, capacity for buggies and wheelchairs near the doors as well as space for bicycles. The cars will be wider than on previous Mireos trains to further enhance the passenger experience of ÖBB customers. And, for the first time, Siemens Mobility is designing the new trains with inner bearing bogies as a single car concept.

Michael Peter, CEO Siemens Mobility: “Siemens Mobility and ÖBB have long enjoyed a strong and trusting partnership. We are especially proud to deliver a further development of the Mireo platform to ÖBB as a single car concept for the company’s new fleet. With their numerous innovations, cross-border operating capability, and high level of passenger comfort and convenience, the new Mireo trains will help make ÖBB’s local and regional transport even more attractive.”

"With the additional 70 multiple-unit trains, we are consistently continuing our investment programme in a modern fleet. The new trains have a speed of 160 km/h and offer increased passenger comfort, barrier-free boarding, the option of transporting bicycles and Wi-Fi. In addition, a special focus was placed on efficient energy consumption," emphasises ÖBB CEO Andreas Matthä.

The order consists of eleven 73-metre-long local trains and 28 106-metre-long trains for use in various federal regions. 31 trainsets with a length of 106 metres for long-distance transport within the Alps complete the first call-off. The most modern European Train Control System [ETCS] from Siemens Mobility will be used for controlling the train. In conjunction with the appropriate infrastructure, the system enables significantly shorter train intervals, which is an important economic factor on particularly busy routes.

The Mireo’s lightweight construction and resulting low energy consumption, as well as its air conditioning systems using a natural refrigerant and a heat pump, ensure greater sustainability. The trainsets are especially environmentally friendly thanks to their low energy consumption. The car bodies are aluminium, and a new lightweight construction technology is also used for the inner bearing bogies.  

Austrian know-how provides greater comfort for passengers

The SF7500 bogies, which were developed at the Siemens Mobility competence centre for train bogies in Graz and have long since proven their worth internationally, will be used on the Mireos. In contrast to previous Mireo trains, in which two cars share one so-called “Jacobs bogie”, each ÖBB Mireo car has two bogies. Several of them throughout the train are powered by high-performance traction motors, ensuring acceleration that is optimally balanced between traction and energy efficiency. The bogies are designed with inner bearings to save weight and space, and the extra space gained is used for relocating other components beneath the car body. This improves the train’s handling and gives passengers more room and an enhanced spatial experience. 

The Mireo trains will be built within our global network of train manufacturing facilities. The state-of-the-art bogies will be manufactured at the Siemens Mobility competence centre in Graz.