Stadler to provide up to 20 firefighting and rescue trains to ÖBB

The firefighting and rescue trains will be able to run on ÖBB’s entire route network. 

At the end of December 2020, Stadler and ÖBB Infrastruktur AG signed a framework agreement for the development, manufacture, delivery, approval under railway law and commissioning of up to 20 new firefighting and rescue trains.

The contract is valued at approximately €240 million in total. ÖBB Infrastruktur AG has already placed an initial call-off order with Stadler for five trains worth, which is valued at around €60 million. 

Stadler’s new trains are designed as three-car vehicles and are approximately 66.5m long. They each consist of a railcar, a motorised low-floor control car and a water car that can carry up to 45,000 litres of water. The water car will be accessible and provide up to 56 seats.

A total of 300 seats and standing places will be available per train to accommodate for persons in need of rescue. The trains will travel at speeds of up to 160km/h and will be suitable for trimodal operation, i.e. electric, diesel-electric and by battery.

The first vehicles being delivered from Stadler are scheduled to enter into service by mid-2024 at the latest. The vehicles are intended for interventions in the three new base tunnels of Koralm, Semmering and Brenner, and will replace ÖBB’s first generation of firefighting and rescue trains. They will be able to run on ÖBB’s entire route network. 

Dr. Ansgar Brockmeyer, Sales Manager at Stadler, said: “We are very pleased about this order and the cooperation with ÖBB. Our many years of experience with tailor-made vehicles involving a wide variety of drive concepts will help us to produce these technically demanding trains. This experience is a unique advantage for Stadler.”