GERMANY: A group of transport authorities led by Mittelsachsen authority ZVMS named Transdev’s Mitteldeutsche Regiobahn as preferred bidder for a contract to operate the Elektronetz Mittelsachsen package of regional passenger services on June 8.
The contract is to be formally awarded following the 10-day regulatory standstill period. It covers three routes which currently total 5·8 million train-km/year:
- E3 (currently RE3) Dresden – Chemnitz – Plauen – Hof;
- R30 (currently RB30) Dresden – Chemnitz – Zwickau;
- R45 Chemnitz – Elsterwerda.
The contract runs from June 12 2016 to December 2030. There is an option for the Dresden – Hof service to be terminated in December 2025, to enable services to be restructured as part of the planned electrification of the Hof – Nürnberg route.
All services are to have a conductor under the new contract, up from 20% at present, and Deutsche Bahn tickets and discount cards will be accepted.
Alstom is currently building a fleet of 13 three-car and 16 five-car 160 km/h Coradia Continental electric multiple-units for use on routes E3 and R30 under a €150m contract which was awarded by ZVMS in March 2014. This includes maintenance of the fleet in Chemnitz over 16 years.
