GERMANY: Westfalen-Lippe transport authority NWL has ordered 61 Siemens Mobility Mireo Plus B battery-electric multiple-units for use on Netz Nördliches Westfalen regional passenger services from December 2029. Rock Rail will finance the BEMUs and provide them through a leasing deal.
‘This project is an excellent example of how innovative financing models can accelerate the introduction of state-of-the-art, environmentally friendly rail technology’, said Rock Rail CEO Mark Swindell on December 16. ‘We are delighted about the partnership with NWL and Siemens Mobility and look forward to making a significant contribution as a long-term lessor to the sustainable transformation of regional transport in Nordrhein-Westfalen.’
The BEMUs will have two 25 m long cars each with two doors per side and step-free access. The interiors will include space for two wheelchair users and 18 bicycles, with wi-fi, power sockets and USB ports. They will charge their batteries from the overhead electrification where available, as well as through regenerative breaking.
NWL Managing Director Christiane Auffermann said ‘locally emission-free, alternatively powered vehicles are the future of local rail transport. Especially in rural regions like Westfalen-Lippe, battery-powered trains offer ideal technological prerequisites to bridge sections of track without existing overhead lines in a climate-friendly manner. With the deployment of the 61 Siemens units, the second-largest BEMU fleet in Germany will operate in the NWL area — setting new standards for sustainability in regional transport.’
