14 Double-Decker Delays in Baden-Württemberg's Trains Schedule
Passengers on regional services in Baden-Württemberg will have to be patient for their long-awaited double-decker trains. The German Press Agency reported that there will be delays in the delivery of the 130 new double-decker trains the state ordered from Alstom. Originally, 80 of these monsters were scheduled to be approved and delivered by the end of December 2025, but now the state assumes only 14 approved double-decker vehicles will be available by then.
Several reasons account for these delays. For instance, the award procedure was delayed by around six months due to a legal challenge lodged against Alstom by an unsuccessful competitor. The war in Ukraine and supply chain bottlenecks in Alstom's production process have also contributed to the delays.
The trains should have been operational for Stuttgart 21, the region's digitalized rail hub, by the end of 2025. This hub aims to develop Stuttgart into Germany's first digitalized rail hub, equipping regional and long-distance trains with digital train control systems and digitizing signal boxes.
Stuttgart 21's partial commissioning in December 2025 results in reduced demand for ETCS-equipped vehicles. Additionally, the Gäubahn connection to Zurich and the airport station will not be operational until later.
Alstom will provide 28 replacement vehicles for the missing double-decker trains, and there are 28 more already available for conversion to the new ETCS system. This temporary solution prevents significant operational disruptions and ensures seamless local traffic.
Alstom initially planned for the new trains to travel on the regional lines from Stuttgart to Karlsruhe, Pforzheim, Heilbronn, Schwäbisch Hall, Aalen, Ulm, Friedrichshafen, Tübingen, and Horb/Rottweil. Due to the delivery delays, a change in priorities is necessary. The trains will initially be deployed on the Karlsruhe-Stuttgart-Ulm route due to the requirement for maximum speeds of 200 kilometers per hour.
In 2021, Baden-Württemberg placed an order for 130 double-decker trains from Alstom for approximately 2.5 billion euros. The trains will boast speeds of up to 200 kilometers per hour and provide 380 seats.
The delays in Alstom's delivery might lead to increased traffic on local roads as passengers opt for alternative modes of transportation. Nevertheless, the construction of Germany's first digitalized rail hub may temporarily rely on older railroad vehicles during the initial stages, resulting in reduced speed and capacity for long-distance and regional trains.
[1]
Source:
