The Ministry of Economic Affairs, Infrastructure, Tourism and Labour of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, together with Schleswig-Holstein and the city of Hamburg, have announced it has ‘signed and sealed’ the local rail passenger transport contract for Baltic-Alster sub-network (OSTA). It has awarded the contract for December 2027 – December 2041 to DB Regio. The standstill period has ended, and the sole competitive bidder did not object.
Specifically, it concerns the trains for the high-demand Regional Express Line 1 (RE1), which connects Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania with the Hamburg metropolitan region. This also affects train services to and from Lübeck. Following the infrastructure expansion as part of the Fehmarnbelt hinterland connection, electric trains will be introduced in December 2029, which will further enhance the OSTA sub-network with the new RE2 Rostock – Lübeck and RE4 Schwerin – Lübeck.
Rolling stock
The locomotive-hauled double-decker trains will replaced by new Alstom Coradia Stream EMUs. To be ready for higher passenger volumes, the federal states are commissioning the option for an additional vehicle at the same time as the contract is awarded so that a fleet of 18 trains (9 five-car and 9 three-car trains) can be procured from the outset.
These trains will also run between Hamburg and Büchen at peak times in 8-car formation. For the foreseeable future, only five-carriage (RE1) and three-carriage (RE2, RE4) trains will be able to run to Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania due to limited platform lengths. Platform development programmes require a targeted exchange with the infrastructure operators, which the federal states will continue.
The EMUs will ge “a fresh vehicle design inside and out in line with the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state concept”.
It is the third time DB Regio has ordered Coradia Stream:
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