With the arrival of the first tram-train vehicles for the Linz local railway, the last old vehicles on the standard-gauge local railways of Stern & Hafferl Bahnen are to be replaced in the course of this year. While some nostalgics may regret this, passengers are eagerly awaiting more modern vehicles with comfortable access and attractive multi-purpose spaces for bicycles and prams. Initially, 20 such new so-called “VDV TramTrain” units from a joint order by several public transport operators will be delivered by the manufacturer Stadler Rail from its factory in Valencia to the region of Oberösterreich (Upper Austria).
If everything goes according to plan, this will be the last winter for the old vehicles of various origins, built between 1951 and 1954, which are currently still in regular service on sections of the Linz local railway and on the Lambach – Vorchdorf-Eggenberg local railway. We show some of them here in operation.
