New S-Bahn for Berlin is now complete and in service

Credit: Siemens Mobility

The new Berlin S-Bahn fleet has been completed and all 106 trains of the new series are now in service. The trains, equipped with air conditioning, state-of-the-art passenger information systems and cameras for greater security, offer passengers a new level of comfort and convenience. The new fleet also increases the transport capacity in parts of the city’s S-Bahn network, thus expanding services. In the course of replacing the older trains, the number of cars per train was also increased. For customers, this has specific benefits: longer trains operate on the Ring lines S41/S42 as well as the S8 line, and the S8 line is extended to Wildau during peak hours. The new S-Bahn fleet now offers a total of around 18,000 seats. The new trains have entered service successively since the beginning of 2021, and have been operating on lines S41, S42, S46, S47 and S8 since then.

Representatives from politics, business, the Berlin-Brandenburg Transport Association (VBB) and the Berlin S-Bahn gathered at the Charlottenburg S-Bahn station for the ceremonial delivery of the last train in this tranche. The states of Berlin and Brandenburg are financing the purchase of the trains, which were manufactured by a consortium of Stadler and Siemens.

“We have received very positive responses to the new air-conditioned, quiet and comfortable trains – from our passengers as well as our employees,” Peter Buchner, CEO for S-Bahn, said. “The new trains have already covered around 17 million kilometres in service.”

“We are especially pleased that the new trains have been delivered on time despite the difficult conditions and are now all in service,” Ute Bonde, Managing Director of Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg, said. “For passengers, this means benefiting from more space and greater comfort and convenience on the Ring line and on the S46, S47, and S8 lines. Looking to the tasks ahead, we welcome the fact that S-Bahn Berlin GmbH is strongly committed to continuing its longevity programme for the older 481 series trains. It is important to keep this main part of the S-Bahn fleet fully upgraded for operations until it is replaced by further new trains.”

“Our employees worked on the project in various phases for nearly ten years,” Jure Mikolčić, CEO for Stadler Germany, said. “The collaboration with our consortium partner Siemens and S-Bahn Berlin was very good throughout the entire project. We are especially proud that we were able to manufacture the new S-Bahn trains for Berlin at our location here in Berlin.”

“As a company with Berlin roots, we are particularly proud to be contributing to a sustainable improvement in passenger experience and comfort on the Berlin S-Bahn,” Elmar Zeiler, Head of Commuter and Regional Trains for Siemens Mobility, said. “The trains of the new 483/484 series not only stand out with their reliability, greater seating capacity and air conditioning, but also with their modern, energy-efficient drive technology.”

The 483/484 series trains are part of the transport contract for the Ring subnetwork and are financed by the regions of Berlin and Brandenburg. Parallel, S-Bahn Berlin is continuing to implement its BR 481 longevity programme.  More than 300 of the 500 trains in the 481 series (built between 1996 and 2004) have already been rebuilt. Every day, around 1.4 million people use the S-Bahn Berlin trains, which operate on 16 lines in the capital and the state of Brandenburg.