Siemens Mobility showcases Mireo Plus B for the first time at InnoTrans 2022

Credit: Siemens Mobility

Siemens Mobility has presented the Mireo Plus B battery train to the public for the first time at InnoTrans 2022.

The Landesanstalt Schienenfahrzeuge Baden-Württemberg (SFBW) has ordered 27 Mireo Plus B trains from Siemens Mobility in 2020. The two-car electric trainsets with 120 seats can operate on rail routes with or without overhead power lines thanks to their battery hybrid drive and are scheduled to operate in Network 8 of the Ortenau regional system. Delivery of the multiple units is scheduled between June and December 2023.

Baden-Württemberg’s Transport Minister, Winfried Hermann, said: “All trains should be climate-friendly. Where there are no overhead lines yet, we rely on alternative and climate-friendly solutions. Thanks to the battery hybrid drive of the Mireo Plus B, trains in the Ortenau region will run emission-free from December 2023. The state of Baden-Württemberg is leading the way as a pioneering region in Germany and is financing the introduction and operation of the battery trains as the owner. The procurement is also based on the “lifecycle approach”, which means that for the first time we are guaranteeing maintenance and servicing over the entire contract period.”

Gerhard Greiter, CEO Northeast Europe at Siemens Mobility, said: “With this order, the state of Baden-Württemberg is investing in the future of mobility. Our Mireo Plus B battery train enables climate-friendly, locally emission-free passenger transport and thus offers a sustainable alternative to the use of diesel multiple units on non-electrified lines. We guarantee the availability of the fleet with maintenance over the entire life cycle.”

The range of the Mireo Plus B in battery mode under real conditions is more than 80 kilometers. The batteries can be charged on the overhead line and by using the braking energy. The battery system is mounted underfloor and includes two battery containers. Long-life lithium-ion batteries are used. It is planned that Siemens Mobility will also take care of the maintenance of the trains for almost 30 years. The trains will be built at the Siemens Mobility plant in Krefeld.

In addition to the order for Baden-Württemberg, Siemens Mobility has also received two further orders for the Mireo Plus B: Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn (NEB) has ordered 31 Mireo Plus B trains in 2021. Seven more trains will go to Midtjyske Jernbaner in Denmark from the end of 2024.