In 2022, the Swiss manufacturer and the Austrian operator signed a framework agreement to deliver up to 186 new trains. The first call-off was 41 six- and four-car trains. Longer versions, aimed at long-distance traffic, can accommodate 480 passengers in the 1st and 2nd class and have two catering zones. Shorter four-car versions have 380 seats and, just like their 6-car counterparts, can also reach a maximum speed of 200 km/h.
On 6.7.2023, 35 additional trains were ordered, valued at around 600 million EUR. Twenty-one of these trains will be four-car regional trains, and the remaining fourteen will be six-car trainsets for long-distance services. These will be branded and in the colours of Railjet. Railjet trains have so far been only formed by locomotive-hauled push-pull compositions. The deployment of KISS units will mean the Railjet brand will now have electric multiple units too, even double-deck. This will enable it to cope with the increased ridership in Austrian trains when in 2022 ÖBB moved a record-breaking 41.6 million passengers in long-distance traffic.
The first trains from the Stadler production lines should appear in the eastern regions of Austria in mid-2026.
