With the symbolic ground-breaking ceremony at the Luhe-Wildenau site in Bavaria at the end of September, Siemens Mobility announced another step towards sustainable mobility. By 2027, a new production facility for battery systems for rail vehicles, in particular battery-powered trains (BEMU) and, in future, locomotives, will be built here. Siemens is investing around 22 million euros in the project, creating up to 200 new jobs and constructing a modern production facility covering an area of around 20,000 m².
The factory will manufacture complete battery systems, including a new battery management system (BMS). Although the (LTO) cells themselves will continue to be sourced from external manufacturers such as Toshiba, Siemens will take over system integration, assembly and quality assurance. The aim is to achieve greater independence in the supply chains, ensure flexibility with different cell types and accelerate series production. Production is scheduled to start in October 2027, with an annual capacity of up to 120 MWh.
The pre-assembly of battery systems is already taking place in Luhe-Wildenau. Siemens Mobility is now building its new system production facility on the basis of this long-standing experience. In future, up to 120 megawatt hours of battery capacity per year can be produced here in three shifts.
Another part of the investment will go towards manufacturing and automation technology, including state-of-the-art welding processes. The Free State of Bavaria is supporting the project with €2.7 million from state funding programmes. The site was developed in collaboration with regional project developer and property developer Dirnberger Real Estate GmbH and DIMONDA Projektbau GmbH. The companies are acting as investors and landlords for the site and are responsible for managing and implementing the project.
This will enable Siemens to meet the growing demand for Mireo Plus B battery electric multiple units (BEMUs). These vehicles can run on overhead lines on electrified sections and use their batteries on non-electrified sections – an attractive alternative to diesel operation.
Orders and deliveries: Locomotives and Mireo Plus B at a glance
The Mireo Plus B is increasingly establishing itself as the standard for partially electrified networks in Germany and beyond. The following overview shows the status of the most important orders:
| Project / Operator | Number of vehicles | Characteristics/ area of operation |
|---|---|---|
| SWEG (Baden-Württemberg) | 27 | First order of BEMU trains for regional networks in south-west Germany, new workshop set up in Offenburg. |
| NWL (Nordrhein-Westfalen) | 61 | Largest single order for BEMU in Germany, leasing model over 15 years. |
| MDSB 2025+ (Leipzig Region) | 16 | Part of a total of 75 Mireo trains for the Leipzig S-Bahn network, in service from 2026. |
| NEB (Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn, Brandenburg) | 31 | In operation on regional lines in Berlin-Brandenburg region from 2024. |
| Hessische Landesbahn (HLB) | 3 | Operation on networks in the Taunus region, planned start of service in 2025. |
| Mireo Leasing (Alpha Trains / Siemens cooperation) | 3 | Operation on behalf of VRR on the RE47 by Regiobahn |
| Midtjyske Jernbaner (DK) | 7 | First BEMU order outside Germany |
| Gesamt: | 148 |
Siemens received its first order for locomotives with battery storage in February 2025 from JeMyn AG, part of Widmer Rail Services AG. The order comprises two Vectrons equipped with high-voltage lithium-ion batteries and an intelligent battery management system, enabling emission-free operation on shorter routes without overhead lines (last mile, shunting). Delivery is scheduled for 2027, and the new battery pack was funded as part of the German ‘Future of Rail Freight Transport’ programme.
The first order for locomotives with battery storage from North America followed in the summer of 2025: Siemens Mobility is bringing the first battery-electric passenger train locomotives to North America with the Charger B+AC – designed for speeds of up to 125 mph (approx. 200 km/h). They combine overhead line operation with battery mode for sections of track without overhead lines and are modular, scalable and tailored to American regulations such as the ‘Buy America’ programme. The first order comprises 13 of these Charger B+AC locomotives for the New York regions (MTA / Metro-North Railroad) as part of the expansion to lower-emission regional transport.
Relevance of the new production facility
- The planned battery production in Bavaria is strategically crucial for several reasons:
- Securing supply chains – in-house production in Germany reduces dependencies and increases control over quality and schedules.
- Flexibility – the new battery management system has a modular design and can be operated with different cell types.
- Scaling – the increasing number of BEMU orders requires series production with stable cost structures and short distances.
- Transport transition – the politically desired move away from diesel trains is thus technologically secured and accelerated.
Latest order from East Westphalia
In September 2025, the Westfalen-Lippe Local Transport Association (NWL) announced that it would be ordering 61 new battery-powered multiple units (BEMUs) from Siemens Mobility for the Northern Westphalia (NNW) network. These vehicles are scheduled to enter service in December 2029 and will be operated by Rock Rail under a long-term leasing model. The trains are designed for use on sections with overhead lines and on non-electrified sections; they use regenerative braking to recover energy and operate locally emission-free and with particularly high energy efficiency. Features such as step-free entrances, Wi-Fi and a high proportion of recyclable materials (over 90%) have been announced for passengers.
Battery trains as a leasing model
Siemens provides further impressive evidence of how quickly the mobility transition is being implemented in practice with its order for Regiobahn: three Mireo Smart Plus B battery-powered multiple units, which are to be used by Regiobahn and VRR on the RE 47 line between Remscheid-Lennep and Düsseldorf from summer 2026 at speeds of up to 140 km/h. These vehicles offer a range of up to 120 km without overhead lines, enable battery charging both during operation and when stationary, and offer many comfort features such as level access, bicycle parking spaces, Wi-Fi and a digital monitoring system via Siemens’ Railigent platform.
Outlook
Battery-electric trains are particularly useful where partial electrification is in place or where only short non-electrified sections need to be bridged. The Mireo Plus B covers precisely this market and will be in daily operation in several regions of Germany from the mid-2020s onwards. A similar trend can be seen for the locomotive business, even though volumes will be most likely smaller for the passenger-locomotive market.
With its new production facility in Bavaria, Siemens is not only creating a basis for supplying these projects, but also laying the foundation for future developments – whether with more powerful batteries, adapted ranges or additional export markets. This directly links technological advancement with the political goal of sustainable, emission-free mobility in regional and suburban rail transport.
13.10.2025
