Alstom expands Coradia Max order with 26 more trains for Baden-Württemberg

Alstom has secured a further order to expand the Coradia Max fleet in southern Germany, signing a contract to supply 26 additional double-decker trains to the Landesanstalt Schienenfahrzeuge Baden-Württemberg. The agreement also covers full maintenance of the vehicles through to the end of 2055.

The new order, valued at around 500 million euros, builds on an option included in a major framework deal signed in May 2022. That original contract covered 130 Coradia Max trains alongside long-term FlexCare Perform maintenance and servicing, with scope for up to 100 additional vehicles to be ordered. Delivery of the latest batch of trains is scheduled for mid to late 2028.

The double-deck units will be introduced into service from December 2026 and deployed progressively across routes in Baden-Württemberg. They will be provided to DB Regio Baden-Württemberg and Arverio for operation on rail network 35, covering both Lot 1 and Lot 2 of the Stuttgart–Bodensee network. In future, the trains will operate on a range of Regionalexpress and Metropolexpress services.

Designed for high-speed regional operation, the Coradia Max trains for Baden-Württemberg have a maximum speed of 200 km/h, making them the fastest regional trains currently planned for service in Germany. Each four-car unit comprises two double-deck driving cars and two single-deck intermediate cars, offering a total of 380 seats across a 106-metre-long formation. Multiple working capability allows trains to be coupled together to increase capacity when required.

Passenger facilities include air conditioning, free Wi-Fi, charging points for mobile phones and laptops, and individual reading lamps. The interior layout also features lounge areas, conference and family compartments, and large multi-purpose spaces for luggage, prams and bicycles. Wide single-leaf doors are designed to support fast boarding and alighting.

Accessibility has been built into the design, with step-free access from standard platforms at 760 mm rail height. For stations with different platform heights, the trains are equipped with dedicated lifts for wheelchair users. The fleet will also be fitted with modern signalling and automation systems as part of the “Digital Hub Stuttgart” project, Germany’s first fully digitised railway hub. Externally, the trains will carry the familiar white, yellow and black bwegt livery.

Coradia Max is Alstom’s latest generation high-performance electric multiple unit, combining a low-floor design with modular configuration options to suit different operators’ needs. More than 500 Coradia Max trains have already been ordered across Europe.

Winfried Hermann, Minister of Transport of the State of Baden-Württemberg, said:

“We are investing a total of around 3 billion euros in 156 state-of-the-art and comfortable Coradia Max trains. This puts us at the forefront in Germany with numerous new high-performance trains. We are thus creating capacity for the high passenger demand of recent years. More capacity helps where it is already full today. More comfort ensures that passengers feel comfortable on board with us. With these vehicles, we will be able to significantly improve local and regional transport services, especially after railway hub Stuttgart 21 goes into operation. We have made sure that the very powerful vehicles with high top speed are nevertheless energy-efficient. Baden-Württemberg is a pioneer in sustainable and climate-friendly mobility in rail transport. We attach great importance to high-quality vehicles.”

Tim Dawidowsky, President for the Central and Northern Europe region at Alstom, said:

“We are proud to be able to add another chapter to our cooperation with the state of Baden-Württemberg. The expansion of the Coradia Max fleet will offer passengers even more capacity, comfort and speed in regional transport. As a partner for long-term maintenance and servicing, we will make a decisive contribution to the reliable operation of the vehicles for decades to come.”

Image: Alstom