Diesel substitutes - Bayern starts tender for new electric trams
The Bavarian Railway Company (BEG) has started the tender for the future regional transport in Allgäu with modern Neigetechnik trains. During the tender period from 2029 to 2041, the existing diesel trains are supposed to be replaced by electric vehicles that can be powered by three different energy sources. The trains can receive power from the overhead line, from the built-in battery, or from a hydrogen-powered fuel cell. According to the BEG report, these trains still need to be developed.
The network includes several lines and connects Lindau on Lake Constance, the tourist center Oberstdorf, and the free cities of Kempten and Memmingen with Munich, Augsburg, and also Nuremberg. So far, the regional transport is responsible for the German Railways (DB). Companies that want to take over the contract from 2029 can apply until the end of August 2024.
To make the development of the new trains worthwhile for train builders, the state railway company orders the new Neigetechnik trains also for the regional transport in Franconia and the Oberpfalz. Potential manufacturers need "a minimum quantity of vehicle orders to enter the concept and production of such a vehicle", explained the BEG. In Northern Bavaria, the new trains are expected to run approximately from around 2032.
- Interested companies in the construction of the new Neigetechnik trains for the Bavarian Railway Company (BEG) should take note of the Call for Tenders, which is open until the end of August 2024 for the regional traffic in Allgäu.
- The modern electric trains, capable of being powered by three energy sources, will be a significant upgrade to the current diesel trains on the Allgäu railway line, serving cities such as Kempten and Memmingen.
- Once the tender process is completed and a new Railway Company is appointed, the electric trains will replace the diesel ones on the Allgäu railway line, which covers destinations like Kempten, Memmingen, and Oberstdorf, connecting to major cities like Munich, Augsburg, and Nuremberg.
- The Bavarian Railway Company (BEG) has strategically included plans for the deployment of these electric trains not only in Allgau but also in Franconia and the Oberpfalz, ensuring a consistent system of electricity-powered railway services across Bavaria.
- The introduction of electric trains along the Allgäu railway line will contribute to the Regional traffic's shift towards sustainable energy sources, making use of electric power from the overhead line, built-in battery, or hydrogen-powered fuel cell, contributing to Bavaria's overall green transportation goals.
