Siemens Completes Delivery of 294 Desiro ML Cityjet Trains to ÖBB — Austria’s Largest Regional Fleet
The Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) has received the final Desiro ML Cityjet train from Siemens Mobility, closing out a multi-year procurement and production program that supplied 294 electric multiple units (EMUs). Siemens handed over the 294th train at Vienna Central Station, marking the end of the largest single-train fleet delivery in Austria’s history. Production, logistics and commissioning activities generated more than one million work hours and supported local industrial employment and skills development.
How the Project Delivered Scale, Speed and Local Manufacturing
The program combined Siemens Mobility’s manufacturing with ÖBB Technical Services (ÖBB TS) in a cooperative production model. Of the 294 units, 273 were built in Austria under the joint production agreement, ensuring that the majority of the 898 individual carriages were manufactured domestically. The shared-production approach reduced delivery risk, accelerated handover timelines and kept critical skills within Austria’s rail supply chain.
Concrete delivery highlights:
• 294 complete EMUs delivered on schedule; several units finished earlier than planned.
• 898 carriages produced to high quality standards.
• More than one million labor hours recorded across manufacturing and commissioning phases.
Configuration, Features and Where These Trains Operate
Desiro ML Cityjet trains were built in multiple configurations, ranging from about 75 meters to over 101 meters in trainset length to match service patterns across ÖBB’s regional and local network. Operators deploy different train lengths to balance seat capacity, platform lengths and service frequency, which improves energy efficiency per passenger-kilometer when compared with mismatched rolling stock.
Key passenger features designed for regional service include accessible boarding, zoned air conditioning, dedicated bicycle areas, onboard Wi‑Fi and infotainment systems. The fleet also receives staged upgrades to fit the European Train Control System (ETCS) train protection technology; full ETCS rollout across the fleet targets completion by 2028 so the units can run seamlessly on modernized corridors, including Vienna’s central rail corridor after its renovation.
Why the Desiro ML Program Matters for Regional Mobility
The new fleet replaced older multiple-unit trains and delivered immediate improvements in accessibility, comfort and operational reliability. Short- and medium-term outcomes include reduced dwell times at stations through level boarding and faster acceleration profiles that optimize timetable recovery. Over the longer term, fleet standardization simplifies maintenance scheduling, reduces spare-parts complexity and enables more predictable lifecycle cost planning for ÖBB.
Project Origins and Service Entry: From 2010 Tender to Network Integration
The Desiro ML program traces back to Siemens’ successful bid in 2010. The train family first appeared publicly at InnoTrans 2016 in Berlin, but passengers saw units in revenue service earlier when ÖBB introduced the new timetable in 2015. Initial commercial operations included the S7 line between Vienna Floridsdorf and Vienna Airport, where the trains proved their suitability for frequent-stop regional routes.
Deployment phased in features and service training: crews and depot staff received targeted instruction on the new systems, depot layouts adapted for the longer units, and parts logistics were restructured to match a higher-volume standardized fleet.
Cityjet Eco: Battery-Assisted Operation That Proved Practical Range
Siemens and ÖBB advanced a battery-assisted variant named Desiro ML Cityjet Eco. Engineers fitted a test set with an alternative battery propulsion package and validated it on non-electrified corridors, including the Kamptal line. Testing confirmed that a fully certified passenger EMU could operate on battery power alone for distances up to about 110 km, depending on route profile and regenerative braking usage.
That test program produced three practical outcomes:
• It proved that battery-boosted EMUs can bridge non-electrified gaps without diesel traction.
• It created a validated design baseline that Siemens adapted for projects in Germany, Denmark and elsewhere.
• It informed operational rules for charge/discharge strategies, where electrified segments or depot chargers replenish onboard energy between runs.
Operational and Industrial Impact: Jobs, Skills and Supply Chain Effects
Beyond passenger benefits, the procurement stimulated Austria’s rail supply chain. Local assembly of 273 units translated into supplier contracts, apprenticeships and higher utilization of local maintenance facilities. The one-million-plus labor hours reflect a concentrated skills transfer, particularly in electronic train control systems, bodywork assembly and commissioning procedures, which strengthens domestic capacity for future rolling stock projects.
What to Expect Next: ETCS Rollout and Fleet Utilization
With deliveries complete, ÖBB will focus on completing ETCS retrofits and optimizing timetable integration across regional corridors. Expect phased service changes as individual units receive ETCS capability and maintenance teams implement standardized fault-detection routines to maximize fleet availability. The existing Cityjet configuration also positions ÖBB to trial multi-modal schedules that pair frequent regional rail with local bus and bike-hire services—using the trains’ bicycle areas and realtime passenger information to increase first/last-mile connectivity.
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