Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) has signed a framework agreement with Siemens Mobility worth more than five billion euros to deliver up to 540 single-deck electric multiple-unit trains. ÖBB expects the new trains to enter service in 2028.

The trains are from the manufacturer’s Mireo platform, a modular system whose low energy consumption and lightweight, aluminium construction makes it environmentally-friendly.

Mireo is designed as a successor to the ‘Mainline’ variant of Siemens’s Desiro EMUs and can form trainsets between two and seven cars long. The railcars can reach a top speed of up to 160 kilometres per hour (99 mph).

Launched at the 2016 InnoTrans trade fair, the first Mireo units were ordered in February 2017 by Germany’s DB Regio, which bought twenty-four three-car trainsets with a passenger capacity of 220.

More Mireo trains will enter service in Germany next year.

Michael Peter, CEO of Siemens Mobility: “Siemens Mobility and ÖBB have long enjoyed a strong and trusting partnership. We are proud to be delivering a further development of the Mireo platform to ÖBB for the company’s new fleets. With numerous innovations, low energy consumption, and a high level of passenger comfort and convenience, the new Mireo trains will help make ÖBB’s local and regional transport even more attractive.”