At InnoTrans in Berlin, Bavarian Transport Minister Christian Bernreiter, together with representatives from Siemens Mobility and the operator, presented the exterior design of the new vehicles for the Munich S-Bahn. The first of a total of 90 brand-new vehicles from the manufacturer Siemens Mobility are to be delivered from the end of 2028, with the production process starting in 2025, we reported here: https://www.urban-transport-magazine.com/en/munichs-new-s-bahn-trains/ .
The exterior design of the new S-Bahn vehicles features a modern diamond pattern and the colours white and ‘Bahnland Bayern’ blue. It has been developed in collaboration with the design studio neomind and combines digital and static elements. For example, a continuous LED strip in the upper section indicates the respective line colour. The new Munich S-Bahn relies on a strong light-dark contrast, which ensures barrier-free orientation in particular: black-grey doors stand out clearly against the light background of the outer shell, and special areas for wheelchairs, bicycles and pushchairs are marked in ‘Bahnland Bayern’ blue. These zones are also marked by clearly visible pictograms, as already used in the modernised Munich ET 423 S-Bahn vehicles, both outside and inside. The distinctive ‘S’ on the train head also identifies the vehicle as an S-Bahn at first glance.
The new trains will offer state-of-the-art features and equipment: Thanks to the wide doors, spacious boarding areas and full-length accessibility, passengers can board and alight more quickly and circulate more easily throughout the train. Five large multi-purpose areas also ensure that passengers with bicycles or strollers can quickly find suitable space. The trains provide more legroom, lighting that automatically adapts to the time of day, USB ports, windows that are specially treated to improve mobile phone reception, and many other features for highly comfortable and convenient travel. A powerful air conditioning system ensures pleasant interior temperatures even when dealing with outside temperatures of up to 45 degrees Celsius.
More than 160 interior and exterior displays provide a completely new level of real-time information about the route, stations, and occupancy. Passengers know where stairs or elevators are located on each station platform before they even get off the train.
The new S-Bahn trains for Munich are distinguished by their optimized lifecycle costs thanks to maximum energy efficiency, 100 percent availability, minimized maintenance costs, maximized network capacity, and top passenger comfort and convenience. To ensure this, the trains have a high number of redundant components and are equipped with the Railigent X analysis and maintenance system, which is part Siemens Xcelerator, the open, digital business platform. Thanks to automation and artificial intelligence, the system ensures the highest possible availability of the trains.
The new trains will also be equipped with the modern European Train Control System (ETCS) and be capable of highly automated driving with an Automatic Train Operation (ATO) system.
(Info: Siemens Mobility)
