Siemens Mobility has been awarded a contract to supply seven battery powered Mireo Plus B trains to the Midtjyske Jernbaner in Denmark. This is the first contract for battery powered rail in Denmark and is part of a pilot project to replace all diesel trainsets throughout the country. The Mireo Plus B combines all the benefits of the Mireo platform with a high-performance battery system that enables trains to operate on routes with or without overhead power lines thanks to their battery hybrid drive. The seven two-car electric trainsets will be delivered by the end of 2024 and are scheduled to operate on two lines in the Midtjylland region of Denmark.
“The battery trains are expected to enter service at the end of 2024. This is a crucial step in our own green transition, but also a significant step towards the goal of CO2- neutral train traffic throughout Denmark,” said Martha Vrist CEO Midtjyske Jernbaner Drift A/S.
Replacing diesel trains
“With the acquisition of the Mireo Plus B trains, Midtjyske Jernbaner replaces conventional diesel vehicles with state-of-the-art, and locally, completely emissionfree trains. This will significantly contribute to the local area by offering a sustainable and environmentally friendly mobility option. We are delighted that Midtjyske Jernbaner has chosen the energy-efficient Mireo Plus B trains from Siemens Mobility, which will also offer a high level of driving comfort and an improved passenger experience,” said Albrecht Neumann, CEO Rolling Stock at Siemens Mobility.
The Mireo Plus B two-car trainsets can accommodate 120 seated passengers, travel up to 140 km/h and has a range of around 80 kilometers when in battery operation. The batteries can be charged via the 25 kV overhead line in electrified sections and by recuperating the train’s braking energy. The battery system is mounted underfloor and is installed in two battery containers. Lithium-ion batteries with a long service life are used in this system.
This is the third order Siemens Mobility has received for the Mireo Plus B and the first outside of Germany. The Landesanstalt Schienenfahrzeuge Baden-Württemberg (SFBW) ordered 20 Mireo Plus B trains in 2020 and Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn (NEB) ordered 31 in 2021. This technology has been extensively tested for over one year through a preliminary version on a prototype train, the Desiro ML ÖBB Cityjet eco in Austria.
The Midtjyske Jernbaner
Midtjyske Jernbaner was established in 2008 after the merger of the 26.5 km Odderbanen and the 56.3 km Lemvigbanen, VLTJ. Both lines are located in the northwest of Jutland. Since September 2016, the Aarhus-Odder section has been part of the Aarhus Letbane (light rail). Today, four two-car DUEWAG railcars of the type Ym (Lynette) are still used on the Lemvigbanen. While the Danish state railways DSB and the other private railways already discontinued these vehicles years ago, the VLTJ received its Lynette railcars relatively late. The first three trains were delivered to VLTJ in 1984. In the summer of 2006, VLTJ bought another two-car railcar from Nærumbanen. This unit has since been operating on the VLTJ network as Ym 16/Ys 16 Heden.
