S-Bahn-Birthday - 100 Years of S-Bahn in Berlin - Fleet re Equipment comes first
The Berlin S-Bahn is refurbishing its fleet - and is making good progress in converting the trains during this process. "The last trains will enter the workshop by the end of next year," said S-Bahn CEO Peter Buchner to the German Press Agency. Approximately 370 of the 500 trains of the Baureihe 481 series have already been converted.
Originally, the modernization program was supposed to be completed by the end of 2023. However, the work turned out to be technically more challenging than anticipated. Two "quarter-trains" leave the workshop every week.
Modern Coaches for the Centennial
When the S-Bahn celebrates its 100th birthday in early August, it wants to do so with as modern a fleet as possible. The Baureihe 481 forms the backbone of the S-Bahn fleet. These trains have been in service since the mid-90s and are expected to remain in service until the mid-30s after the modernization.
The work is being carried out at the S-Bahn Werk Schöneweide. New paint jobs, blue seats, black doors, and new floors: After treatment, the vehicles resemble the latest series, whose trains have been in operation on the Ringbahn for some months. The exterior differences can be seen from the signs, door signals, and vehicle fronts at first glance.
The fleet is supplemented by around 65 trains from the significantly older Baureihe 480. They have been in service since the late 80s. They were recently digitized to enable them to continue their service until the end of the 2020s. Then, new ones will be needed. "The vehicles are soon 40 years old," Buchner emphasized. "Therefore, a decision on replacements must be made soon."
Melody for the Door Closing Disappears
Berliners and Berliners will have to bid farewell to a distinctive recognition feature in the long run: The distinctive door closing melody will eventually disappear when the modernized Baureihe 481 is finally retired.
Already, the newest trains on the Ringbahn sound and look different when the doors open and close. According to Buchner, this is due to the air conditioning systems. To prevent cool or warm air from escaping too quickly from the cars, the doors no longer close together just before departure but rather individually after each entry and exit. It would be too much if each door played the familiar closing melody.
No Personnel Shortage
Approximately 1000 people work at the Werk Schöneweide, about half of whom are in heavy maintenance. These workers must process the trains at least every eight years. They spend roughly eleven weeks in the workshop and disassemble every component.
"We are the only S-Bahn in Germany that performs this type of maintenance in-house," Buchner said. The works went into operation at the end of the 1920s and are only a few years younger than the S-Bahn itself.
Training new S-Bahn drivers, or "triebfahrzeugführer," is also taking place at the location. "We currently have no personnel shortage," Buchner said. 240 new recruits began their training there this year. Most of them are lateral entrants who complete the eleven-month training program. "To meet our needs, 130 of them should end up working for us." That's working out so far.
- The refurbishment of the Berlin S-Bahn's fleet is being carried out at the S-Bahn Werk Schöneweide, where around 1000 employees, including 500 in heavy maintenance, work.
- Berlin's S-Bahn is using the conversion process to update its Baureihe 481 fleet, with approximately 370 out of 500 trains already completed.
- To accommodate the increased demand for modern vehicles, Berlin's S-Bahn also plans to introduce around 65 trains from the older Baureihe 480 series, which have been digitized to extend their service until the end of the 2020s.
- When the S-Bahn celebrates its centennial in early August, it aims to do so with a modern fleet, with the majority of trains coming from the Baureihe 481 series which have been in service since the mid-90s.
- The modernization program for Berlin's S-Bahn fleet, which originally planned to be completed by the end of 2023, has faced technical challenges, causing delays and increasing the need for a decision on replacements for the significantly older Baureihe 480 series.
- As the modernized Baureihe 481 trains enter service, they will feature new air conditioning systems that allow for individual door closures to prevent air from escaping, which will eventually lead to the removal of the distinctive door closing melody that has long been associated with Berlin's S-Bahn trains.
