SIEMENS subsidiary Smart Train Lease has been awarded a contract by Transdev company TransRegio for the short-term provision of three 160km/h Mireo Smart EMUs and maintenance over eight years of the fleet that will be deployed in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.

The first train is scheduled for delivery on October 1, just six weeks after the contract was signed. The EMUs have already been built to a standard onboard concept, which has 214 seats with 12 in first class. Passengers also benefit from onboard Wi-Fi and power outlets.

This is the first addition to an existing Mireo fleet using the Smart Train Lease model, launched last year to provide multiple-units on a short-term rental basis to supplement existing fleets.

Ahr Valley Railway

The trains will be deployed on Line RB32 from Ahrbrück to Koblenz and Boppard via Remagen in the Ahr Valley, which is set to reopen at the timetable change on December 14. The new trains will be maintained alongside the existing fleet at Trans Regio’s facility in Koblenz.

RB32 services were withdrawn following a devastating flood in 2021. Infrastructure manager DB InfraGO has overseen reconstruction of the line, which is being electrified. Digital interlockings have also been installed.

The project is predominately focused on the Ahrbrück - Walporzheim section and has involved reconstruction and modernisation of nine steel bridges and five pre-stressed concrete bridges, as well as several stations and tunnels. Track is also being renewed on the 16km section while flood defences will continue to be enhanced.

"We hope that everything goes according to plan and that the railway, newly rebuilt and then electrified by DB InfraGO, will be available to passengers and our modern trains by the timetable change in December 2025,” says Henrik Behrens, managing director of TransRegio.

“The new contract is also a great success for us, as it allows us to expand Trans Regio's services in Rhineland-Palatinate for the first time in many years and operate an additional route. In addition to new vehicles, around 20 train drivers are needed for the new services.”