Alstom has announced it will supply DB Regio with 18 Coradia Max electric multiple-unit trains. trains are scheduled to begin service on the RE1 line between Hamburg and Rostock in the Baltic Sea-Alster sub-network (OSTA) by December 2027. The service will extend to Lübeck following infrastructure improvements.
Carsten Moll, Chairman of DB Regio Northeast, expressed enthusiasm for the new trains, emphasizing their role in enhancing commuter and tourist travel on the Hanse-Express between Rostock, Schwerin, and Hamburg. He noted that the trains would feature additional passenger amenities, including lounge areas and improved information systems.
Daniel Bischof, Managing Director of VMV-Verkehrsgesellschaft Mecklenburg-Vorpommern mbH, discussed the procurement of 18 new vehicles for the OSTA sub-network. These trains, uniquely designed with the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state theme, will connect northern German regions and the Hamburg metropolitan area, providing about 720 seats per journey.
The new trains will offer significantly increased seating capacity compared to current vehicles in Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg, especially during peak hours. The three-car trains will have 265 seats, while the five-car double-decker trains will accommodate 462 passengers. These trains, produced in Alstom's Salzgitter site, will have a top speed of 160 km/h and come equipped with the European Train Control System (ETCS).
Accessibility features include two different entrance heights for easy boarding, especially for passengers with reduced mobility. The trains also offer spacious upper floors, free Wi-Fi, and windows designed to improve mobile phone reception. The unique combination of single and double-decker carriages in the Coradia Max trains aims to optimize capacity, flexibility, and passenger experience.
Coradia Max is the new brand name for Coradia Stream high-capacity units, as Alstom rebranded this type of EMU only recently.
