Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) is working with Stadler in order to replace the Austrian local and long-distance transport fleet.

Stadler has now received a further order for 35 new KISS double-decker multiple units worth approximately €600 million as part of the 2022 framework agreement, which could see up to 186 of the double-decker units ordered.

This latest order follows a call-off for 41 KISS double-decker multiple units from the agreement last year and will see a further 14 six-car trains which will be used on long-distance services alongside 21 KISS vehicles which will support local travel. The trains will see a staggered deployment, which is anticipated to begin in mid-2026.

The KISS double-decker multiple units have proved to be extremely popular with Stadler’s customers across 14 countries due to its spacious and innovative design. This latest order comes as a great vote of confidence for the Swiss railway and rolling stock manufacturer, demonstrating its commitment and willingness to support the project.

Peter Spuhler, Executive Chair of Stadler’s Board of Directors, said: “Stadler and ÖBB have set themselves the goal of jointly modernising Austrian rail transport. With its high degree of innovation, our KISS model is an essential solution for passenger- and environmentally friendly rail transport – on both local and long-distance routes. We would like to thank ÖBB for their trust in us. We look forward to working together to deliver the next generation of double-decker multiple units for Austria”

ÖBB CEO, Andreas Matthä said: “At ÖBB, the passenger boom continues: Long-distance transport recorded a total of 41.6 million passengers in 2022 – even surpassing our previous record year of 2019. Not only are we very proud of this result, but we are also implementing other measures to further increase capacity on our trains. We are investing in the heart of our long-distance service – the Railjet – and will be adding modern Railjet double-decker trains to the existing fleet for the first time,”

The KISS platform has been in operation since 2010 and provides a vehicle suited to both long-distance and local services, offering excellent capacity and the very latest facilities.

The impressive vehicle, which can reach speeds of up to 200km/h, sees approximately 380 seats when used in a four-car configuration which is suited to local service. The six-car long-distance train offers passengers around 480 seats with first-class options and two catering facilities.
The new double-decker multiple unit offers around 380 seats in the four-car configuration for local transport.

The KISS double-decker multiple unit’s latest design has been carefully designed in order to meet the needs of passengers, such as those travelling for work or leisure. Each car features a low-floor entrance and a multi-purpose area which provides space and ease of accessibility for those travelling with bikes, pushchairs or luggage. The vehicles also feature specially dedicated wheelchair spaces which include height adjustable tables.