There are only twelve similar panoramic carriages in Europe. This is the first time they have been used in the Czech Republic. ÖBB deploys them on the EuroCity Porta Moravica Graz - Břeclav - Ostrava - Przemyśl route following an agreement with Swiss partner SBB.
The Swiss Federal Railways SBB bought only 12 of the Apm61 Panorama series in 1991. They were intended for EuroCity trains travelling through regions with attractive views of enchanting mountain scenery or river valleys, such as the Alps or the Rhine Valley. SBB used them on services from Switzerland to Italy, France, Germany, the Netherlands or Austria. They currently operate a seasonal tourist train on the old line over the Gotthard Pass, the Gotthard Panorama Express, and run on the EC Transalpin Zurich-Graz and EC 8/9 Zurich-Hamburg services. They are now also used on the EC 104 / 105 Porta Moravica Graz - Przemyśl service, also in the opposite direction. This service includes the very attractive and oldest mountain railway in the world, the Semmeringbahn in Austria.
The thirty-year-old carriages are designed for long-distance intercity services. They are air-conditioned and have 54 seats. They can travel at speeds of up to 200 km/h. They were modernised in 2010, for example with 230V sockets to power portable travel electronics such as laptops, tablets and mobile phones. They are manufactured by the Swiss company Schindler Waggon AG. According to the manufacturer, the large arched panoramic windows give passengers up to 90% more visibility than in a conventional car, and the angle from which they can see out is 25% to 40% wider. In addition, the floor in the panoramic car is higher than in a conventional car, so passengers have a slightly better view even when driving around noise barriers.
