The IAA Mobility is not just cars! The new S-Bahn (suburban train) for the Bavarian capital is on display at Munich’s Königsplatz: The State of Bavaria, Deutsche Bahn and Siemens are presenting a walk-in model of the new generation of S-Bahn trains, which will be in service in and around Munich from the end of 2028. Measuring 22 metres and built to a scale of 1:1, the design, features and passenger information of the XXL S-Bahn can be experienced by everyone.
Greater comfort and reliability
The exterior design features the S-Bahn logo with a diamond pattern and the colours white and ‘Bahnland Bayern’ blue. Inside, yellow accents and natural tones complement the spectrum. Lighting that changes depending on the time of day creates a bright, modern interior, equipped with robust and sustainable materials. Greater seat spacing, USB-C sockets, mobile phone-permeable windows, Wi-Fi and a powerful air conditioning system designed for outside temperatures of up to 45 degrees ensure greater comfort.
Clearly marked areas for wheelchairs, prams and bicycles and spacious entry areas ensure greater punctuality: Floor markings help passengers to orientate themselves and spread out more quickly. The five large multi-purpose areas, whose capacity can be flexibly adjusted with 80 automatically locking folding seats, also contribute to this. Modern camera technology helps to speed up train dispatch at stations.
Wide, step-free carriage transitions and wheelchair spaces with eye-level displays providing information on lift status and platform height set new standards in accessibility. Passengers with hearing aids can connect via Bluetooth to hear announcements. Tactile pictograms, Braille, acoustic signals and a high-contrast design complete the accessibility features.
For the first time, 168 displays provide completely digital passenger information – from the network map and journey route to the location of lifts and exits on the next platform. Outside, an LED strip in the colour of the respective S-Bahn line ensures quick orientation on the platform.
For the design, the Free State and DB, together with the design agency Neomind, surveyed passengers, conducted tests and spoke with politicians, passenger and interest groups. The result is a vehicle that optimally combines a wide range of needs.
Increased reliability
The new trains are more digital and more connected: one focus is on minimising life cycle costs through maximum energy efficiency, minimised maintenance costs and optimised operational support. The suburban trains have a high number of redundant components and are equipped with the Railigent X system, which ensures maximum train availability. Railigent X is part of the open, digital business platform Siemens Xcelerator, which enables customers to achieve a simpler, faster and more scalable digital transformation. Software updates no longer have to be installed manually at the factory, which is time-consuming, but are delivered to the trains via a secure online connection as part of maintenance.
Siemens Mobility is equipping all vehicles with the European Train Control System (ETCS) from Siemens Mobility and Automatic Train Operation (ATO) as well as a Train Integrity Monitoring System (TIMS). The ETCS in the vehicles combines state-of-the-art, reliable technology with lower maintenance costs through standardisation and brings interoperability to the Munich rail network, which DB plans to digitise and equip with ETCS track equipment from 2030 onwards. The integration of ATO over ETCS means that the new S-Bahn trains are fit for the rail transport of the future.
We have already reported here on the procurement of the 90 vehicles:
https://www.urban-transport-magazine.com/en/munichs-new-s-bahn-trains/.
The model at IAA Mobility
The model is on display in the open space at IAA Mobility on Munich’s Königsplatz between the Propylaea and the Glyptothek, right next to the DB initiative ‘Zukunft Nahverkehr’ (Future Local Transport). Interested parties can view it free of charge during IAA Mobility from 9 to 14 September 2025 from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. (Sunday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.). The interior is accessible via guided tours, which can be booked on site. Until the new S-Bahn trains go into service, the model will be located near the future S-Bahn depot in Pasing-Langwied. There it will undergo further testing so that a perfectly designed vehicle can be put into service at the end of 2028.
