Officials from Tirol and Alto Adige have inspected progress on the production of new cross-border regional trainsets for the Brenner Pass corridor at Alstom’s Savigliano plant in Italy.

Tirol’s Regional Minister for Mobility, René Zumtobel, and his Alto Adige counterpart Daniel Alfreider visited the facility to see the six-car Coradia Stream electric multiple units being built for Austrian federal railway ÖBB.

The two regions have jointly ordered a fleet of 21 trainsets. Alto Adige is acquiring 15 units through Strutture Trasporto Alto Adige, while ÖBB is purchasing six through its Verkehrsverbund Tirol public service contract.

The trainsets will operate as a common Euregio fleet, providing cross-border regional services linking Innsbruck, Brenner, Bolzano, Merano and Malles. This will remove the current requirement for local passengers to change trains at the Austrian-Italian border.

An hourly through service between Innsbruck and Bolzano is scheduled to begin in mid-2027, with some services extended to and from Merano and Malles.

Two procurements

Alto Adige ordered its 15 trainsets in August 2022, when the provincial government approved an amendment to an existing rolling stock contract with Alstom. The original plan to procure Talent 3 trainsets had become unworkable following delays, and after Alstom’s acquisition of Bombardier Transportation, the order was changed to six-car Coradia Stream EMUs.

These multi-system EMUs will be capable of operating under Italy’s 3 kV DC, Austria’s 15 kV 16.7 Hz and the 25 kV 50 Hz electrification to be installed on the Vinschgau (Val Venosta) line.

On June 5 2023 ÖBB and the Land of Tirol confirmed an order for six additional units as their contribution to the Euregio fleet. These trainsets are currently being assembled at Savigliano.

‘Transport bottleneck’

‘The Brenner Pass is a major transport bottleneck, which is why expanding cross-border rail services is particularly important for the Euregio’, Zumtobel explained. ‘Cross-border regional rail services are essential for commuters and visitors alike, providing an attractive alternative to private car travel across the Brenner Pass’.

Although train crews will still have to be changed at Brenner because of national operating regulations, passengers will remain onboard during the brief stop and will no longer need to transfer between trains. This is expected to be especially welcomed by cyclists who will also benefit from the larger bicycle compartments on the incoming EMUs.

‘150 years ago, railways were built because there were no cars. Today, we are investing in rail because there are too many cars’, explained Alfreider. ‘Rail is the backbone of our public transport system, allowing us to move large numbers of people efficiently along the main corridors. Alongside infrastructure investment, we also need modern trains capable of operating seamlessly in both Italy and Austria.'

'Leap of quality’

Alexander Jug, Managing Director of Verkehrsverbund Tirol, said the new fleet would represent ‘a significant leap in quality’ for cross-border passengers. ‘Tirol and Südtirol are growing even closer together by rail. Travellers will be able to cross the Brenner Pass every hour without changing trains, while benefiting from modern vehicles offering more seats and a higher level of comfort.’

The 128 m Coradia Stream trainsets have a maximum speed of 160 km/h and provide 381 seats. They are equipped with Wi-Fi, power sockets, step-free boarding and enlarged bicycle storage areas.

Before entering passenger service, the fleet must complete certification in both countries. Drivers, conductors and maintenance staff are also undergoing training, with ÖBB using the identical STA-owned trainsets already delivered in Italy to accelerate its preparations.

‘The modern Coradia Stream trains are ideally suited to the demands of the Brenner route’, commented Werner Buchberger, Head of ÖBB Fleet Management, noting that it was ‘one of the busiest corridors for commuters and leisure travellers. They offer substantially more seating and more space for bicycles. Combined with the more frequent services and new cross-border connections, they provide yet another reason to choose rail.’

According to railwaygazette.com, the visit marks a key milestone in the delivery of the Euregio fleet, which is expected to transform cross-border travel in the region.