Siemens Mobility is to supply twenty-eight three-car electric Mireo regional trains for the Digital Node Stuttgart (DKS) pilot project of Digital Rail Germany (Digitale Schiene Deutschland, DSD).

The Mireo train is capable of operating on steep grades and has been approved for operation in Austria. Siemens will deliver the trains between November 2025 and April 2026.

The new three-car regional trains will contain 218 fixed seats with free WiFi service and barrier-free access. They have a high level of energy efficiency and operating reliability.

Siemens and the State Institute for Rail Vehicles Baden-Württemberg (SFBW) have signed a framework agreement which includes a ten-year maintenance contract which can be extended by a further twenty years.  The order is worth around €300 million.

All twenty-eight trains will be fitted with complete DSD equipment. which will include which includes the latest automatic ETCS (European Train Control System) and Level 2 (GoA 2) Automatic Train Operation (ATO), according to TSI ZZS 2023 with system versions SV2.0 and until 2030 with SV3.0. This is the first order from Siemens Mobility that requires the implementation of complete DSD train equipment.

ETCS aims to harmonise cross-border travel, to facilitate, safe rail transport in European and worldwide rail networks. Siemens Mobility is fitting the new trains with a Train Integrity Monitoring System and the Future Railway Mobile Communication System for the first time in Germany. This digital equipment enables tight scheduling and energy-saving operations through digitally predictive signaling and driving instructions.

Existing trains owned by the State Institute for Rail Vehicles Baden-Württemberg (Landesanstalt Schienenfahrzeuge Baden-Württemberg, SFBW) and leased to railway operating companies (Eisenbahnverkehrsunternehmen, EVUs) have to be retrofitted with DSD train equipment. During the retrofits, leased trains are not available for use, and SFBW aims to swap trains and provide replacements to the EVUs while their trains are retrofitted. The Mireos can be used as a ‘redundancy fleet’ if required.

The new trains will initially run in the Stuttgart metropolitan region as part of the DKS pilot project. They will then be used throughout Baden-Württemberg and neighbouring states.

Siemens Mobility will provide digital services based on its Railigent X application suite, which includes industry-specific apps and data services. This service provides information from the diagnostic and operating data of the trains, in order to maximise reliability and availability.

The head of the State Ministry of Transport, Berthold Friess, said: “Baden-Württemberg is continuing to be a trailblazer in the digitization of railways. Over the next ten years, the 28 ordered Mireo regional trains will primarily serve to keep passenger operations in the state as convenient and comfortable as possible while the existing fleet is being retrofitted with DSD technology. Siemens Mobility is now the second industrial partner for integrating complete DSD equipment in our trains. This will significantly accelerate the development of a fully digitized rail system in Germany.”

Albrecht Neumann, CEO Rolling Stock at Siemens Mobility, said “The Mireo will give the state of Baden-Württemberg a state-of-the-art train that provides impressive cost-effectiveness in operation and a high level of comfort and convenience for passengers. The long-term maintenance contract, which includes digital services based on Railigent X, also ensures reliable operation and high availability of the trains.”