Oh, what are we looking at here? It is a new type of Mireo+B battery train for the German Westerwald region. It is one of just three BEMUs for operator Hessische Landesbahn (HLB) which were ordered in 2023. They will not have an easy life as their future home is earmarked ‘topographically challenging’ with demanding gradients.
Starting in December 2025, the BEMUs will replacing three Alstom’s Lint DMUs on two lines:
- RB90 Oberwesterwaldbahn/Siegstrecke: Limburg – Au – Siegen. This route is 115 km long and includes a 75 km stretch (!) without overhead power lines. Limburg—Au has a height difference of around 350 meters, making it the most challenging route for BEMUs in Germany to date.
- RB29 Unterwesterwaldbahn: Limburg – Montabaur – Siershahn. The non-electrified section on this line is only 35 km long, which enables the trains to operate back and forth without recharging. The trains will serve more than 50 stations on the two routes.
The unit shown is 90 80 0563 801+901, which looks like the impression from 2023. New are large bike/wheelchair logos. BaWü-colored units already tested in Westerwald.
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Related posts:
[DE] BEMUs for the Westerwald – Siemens Mireo in HLB design [updated]
[DE] Siemens Mireo Plus B starts testing in HLB Westerwald pilot project
[DE / Expert] Siemens’ Mireo Plus: Two alternatives to electrification
[DE] NEB presents new interior and exterior for its Mireo battery and fuel cell trains
